


The Wingman Games

by CrowleyLovesUSUK



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Bad Pick-Up Lines, Bottom Dean, Coming Out, Destiel - Freeform, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Gabriel Being Gabriel (Supernatural), Gay Bar, Holidays, Humor, M/M, Minor Donna Hanscum/Jody Mills, Minor mentions of Lucifer/Kelly Kline, Rich Castiel, Rich Gabriel (Supernatural), Sabriel - Freeform, Sex Toys, Swearing, Switch Gabriel (Supernatural), Switch Sam Winchester, The Winchesters Have Unhealthy Coping, Top Castiel, Various Other Supernatural Characters - Freeform, very minor angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-08-25 00:43:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 84,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16651039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrowleyLovesUSUK/pseuds/CrowleyLovesUSUK
Summary: Brothers Sam and Dean Winchester just accidentally came out to one another as bisexual.  Worried about their father's reaction, they take off, ending up in Sioux Falls, SD where they used to live six years ago.  One night, they head out to the local gay bar because Dean is determined to get his brother laid.Gabriel Novak thinks his younger brother Cas needs to get some action, and drags him out to the same bar.When the Winchesters meet the Novak siblings, sparks fly.  As the months pass, what started out as a simple bar pick-up becomes something much more meaningful for both couples.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have never been to Sioux Falls before so literally everything is made up. Sorry.  
> I was supposed to be writing my NaNoWriMo project right now, but this sort of just popped into my head and wouldn't leave. It was originally intended to be a one-shot and whoops--that didn't happen.  
> Also, these two couples are total OTPs for me. (I am major Sabriel trash, and I am 100% okay with that)  
> I don't own anything, I'm just playing with the characters.  
> The story is complete so there will be lots of updates.
> 
> Ages:  
> Dean is 28  
> Cas is 31  
> Sam is 24  
> Gabriel is 34, turning 35

__

 

_The last week of September…_

Dean Winchester wasn’t quite sure what was worse—finally coming to terms with his sexuality; or the giant neon poster on the bar’s window proclaiming that tonight was Nineties Night.  Both were currently annoying him.  If only he could go back in time three weeks and not have the extra shots of whiskey that prompted him to tell Sam that he was kind of into dudes.  His brother had immediately broken out into a huge smile of relief and taken the opportunity to confess that he also identified as bisexual, but hadn’t know how to bring it up to Dean. 

It had been a total chick-flick moment, and Dean woke up the next morning determined to pretend that it hadn’t happened.  Unfortunately, Sam wasn’t ready to just move on in silence.  Which was how Dean found himself quitting his job, packing their few belongings, and driving his brother to Sioux Falls in the middle of the night.  Moving on a whim from Kansas to South Dakota probably wasn’t the smartest idea, but Dean acted on instinct.

Their wayward father had only recently tried to reconnect with them, and Dean’s first thought was that the former marine who attempted to raise them before leaving them in foster care, wouldn’t take too kindly to both his sons coming out of the closet.  Without a word, he decided that the best place to be was near their last foster mom, Jody Mills, and made the arrangements to leave town without a word to their father, John.

When their dad had walked out for the last time, Dean was seventeen.  Sammy was only thirteen and was sick of bouncing between random school districts by that point.  When Sheriff Mills had knocked on their motel room door two days later, she petitioned the court to take them in as fosters once she realized what the situation actually was.

Dean had been a surly and antagonistic teenager, convinced that he could raise Sam on his own.  One night, Jody had sat down on the couch next to him and handed him a cold soda. She explained, in no uncertain terms, that staying with her until he graduated was in Sam’s best interest.  Jody had spoken to Dean as an equal and gave him the option to stay with her and allow her to “assist” them in any way that she could.  She made it clear that she knew Dean considered himself to be Sam’s guardian, and Jody impressed the importance of family on the young man. 

At first, Dean resisted, but he knew that the motherly police officer was correct.  Even when he turned eighteen a few months later, Jody never said a word about him leaving.  She allowed him to stay in her home as she helped him provide for Sam until the kid graduated high school with honors.  Dean knew that he would spend the rest of his life in debt to Jody Mills for her kindness.  Which was why, when he panicked at their father’s perceived reaction, he went to the first place that he remembered feeling safe and secure.

Jody hadn’t even blinked when the Winchester brothers knocked on her door at half past two in the morning during a rainstorm.  She currently had two new foster daughters living with her in their old rooms, so Sam and Dean bunked in her home office using some moth-eaten sleeping bags that Jody dug out of the back of the garage.  The next morning, over scrambled eggs, she helped them find an apartment in town, and ordered Dean to talk to Bobby Singer for a job.  Dean had worked off and on for Bobby in the years he had spent in Sioux Falls, fixing up cars at the man’s garage.  Jody told him that Bobby would welcome him back with open arms.

Once they got Sam signed up for some courses at the local community college, along with the keys to their new place, things finally started to settle down.  They would have dinner with Jody and her two foster daughters, Claire and Alex, most nights; and they were finally managing to feel as though they had made the right choice.  Neither of the Winchesters told Jody why they were in town, and she didn’t ask.  She just fed them home-cooked food and randomly tried to hug them.  It was actually really nice.

Two nights ago, after Dean had ignored another call from their dad, Sam had broached the subject about having a night out.  Dean knew that Sam would never admit it, but his little brother was lonely and starting to get stir-crazy doing nothing but studying.  After a little contemplation, Dean decided that what Sammy really needed was to get laid.  And there was no better wingman in the world than Dean Winchester.

Looking back on it, he should have been more specific as to a ‘night out’ when he gave Sam free reign to pick the place—but it was too late now.  Dean stood on the sidewalk in front of the bar and tried not to roll his eyes.  “Really, Sammy?” he pointed angrily at the poster.  “Nineties Night?”

“Lots of places have theme nights now, Dean,” Sam said.

“Yeah, for Halloween,” Dean argued.  “Or even Eighties Night.  I could see that—but the nineties?  There was only one good song in that entire decade and I doubt this place will have ‘Black Hole Sun,’ on the jukebox.”

“There were other good songs during the nineties,” Sam looked at him.  “Just because everything you listen to was produced before 1989, doesn’t mean it isn’t decent.”

“Like what?” Dean said incredulously.  “And don’t say, ‘The Macarena,’ or I’ll disown you.”  Sam shot him a bitchy look and planted his feet in a show of stubbornness.  “Why here?” Dean looked up at the blinking sign above the door.

“I talked to Claire,” Sam said.  “She told me that this is just about the only LGBT-friendly bar in town.”

“You told Claire?” Dean shouted.

“Yeah, I did,” Sam sighed.  “I wanted to know where to go, and I figured you’d rather have me ask Claire than Jody.  Although, I don’t know why—Jody isn’t going to care if we like dick on occasion.”

Dean groaned and raked his palms down his cheeks.  He tried to come up with another reason to skip this place and go somewhere else.  “The name is a pun, Sam,” Dean ground out.  “A freaking pun!”  They both looked up at the sign once more.  In brightly lit letters it proclaimed the establishment to be ‘The Pan-ty Dropper.’

“Okay, the name sucks,” Sam agreed.  “But Dean, we talked about this.  We are both interested in pursuing something with a guy right now, and if this is the only place in town, then it’s sort of our only option.”

“Son of a bitch,” Dean said.  “Okay, fine.  One drink.”

“Three,” Sam countered.

“Two,” Dean shot back.

 “Three.”

“Fine,” Dean reached for his wallet to pull out his driver’s license and stomped toward the door.  A large, powerfully built man was standing there and had been watching their entire exchange.  He was trying to hide his laughter as Dean approached.

“The name may suck, brother,” he said to Dean, checking the older Winchester’s identification.  “But the drinks are cheap and the company’s not bad either.”

“Thanks,” Dean grumbled.

“Name’s Benny,” the bouncer told them, looking over Sam’s license.  “Have fun, and make sure you tell whoever’s on bar that you’re new.  First Timers at the Pan-ty get their first shot free.”

Dean perked up at that and Sam chuckled.  “See, Dean,” he clapped his brother on the back.  “Free shots.”

“I guess it’s the least they could do,” Dean muttered as they entered the bar.  “Jesus, Sammy,” Dean had taken three steps inside before he turned and glared up at his brother.  “They’re playing freaking N’sync.”

“You can tell that this is an N’sync song?” Sam laughed.

Dean flushed.  “Shut up.”  Giving up, he turned and made his way to the bar with Sam following close behind. 

An attractive woman in all black stood there watching them.  She gave them a strange sort of smile as they slid onto two empty bar stools.  Slapping down some cardboard coasters in front of them, she said, “Welcome to the Pan-ty Dropper.  I’m Meg, what can I get you boys?”

“Hey there, Meg,” Dean winked.  She looked unimpressed and Dean leaned back on his stool.  “Okay, then.”  He grimaced at the chorus of ‘Lady Marmalade,’ which was now filtering through the room.  “You know this song isn’t even _from_ the nineties?”

Meg glanced over at the DJ booth where a long-haired guy was bopping to the music.  “What can I say?  Ash plays whatever he feels like.”  She levelled Dean with a challenging look.

“We’re new,” Sam piped up.  “Benny, out front, said we could get our first shot for free.”

“That’s right.  Are you two day-trippers?” Meg eyed them.

“What?” Dean scrunched his nose in confusion.

“You know,” Meg said.  “Guys who are still in the closet and want to see how the other half lives.  So they come out for a night and grind on some guy before running back home to the little wife.”

“Uh, no,” Dean said firmly.

“We’re new in town,” Sam smiled at her.  She seemed to be much chattier with him than Dean.  “We lived here about six years ago and just moved back.  We’re just looking for a fun night out.”

“And you came to the only gay bar in Sioux Falls,” Meg smiled.  “Recently popped open those closet doors?”

“Sort of,” Sam ducked his head, but he was still smiling.

“Welcome to freedom,” Meg said.  “For that—I’ll set you boys up with three free shots, on me.  What’ll it be?”

Dean perked up at the thought of more free booze.  He also realized that no one was going to judge him in a place like this—he didn’t have to stick to whiskey if he didn’t want.  “I’ll do three purple nurples.  Sammy, you too?” he grinned.  Sam looked at him oddly, but didn’t comment.  “What?” Dean said defensively.  “I’ve always wanted to try one.”

Sam shrugged and said, “Okay then, fine.  Purple nurples all around, I guess.”

Meg finally laughed and started to make their shots.  “Go big, or go home, right boys?”  She set the completed shots down in front of each brother in a neat little row and grinned.  “Bottoms up!”

“Don’t assume to know what I am,” Dean joked.

“Oh precious,” Meg snarked.  “You have ‘Bottom’ written all over that gorgeous face.”

Dean grunted and tossed back the first shot.  It tasted like the beach to him, which was actually really great.  “Mmmm,” Dean slammed the empty glass down on the bar top.

“Good?” Sam asked while examining his own shot.

“It’s got like, coconut, or something in it,” Dean said.  “I like it.”

“Total Bottom drink,” Meg teased him.  “What about you Sasquatch?  You gonna try yours?”

Sam stared at his shot, rolling the small glass around in his palms for a minute before finally tipping it back and swallowing the whole thing.  “Damn,” he said after he finished.  “I feel like I’m getting diabetes.”

“Awesome, right?” Dean said.  He was finally starting to get into things.  He took his second shot and realized that the horrid nineties pop music was actually kind of catchy at the moment.  Who knew?

“You boys let me know if you want anything else,” Meg said as she moved away down the bar to help another customer.

The Winchester brothers settled in to drink the rest of their shots, both of them genuinely laughing for the first time in a long time.  They had no idea that they were being watched.

* * *

“Oh! I love this song,” Castiel Novak’s brother Gabriel shouted in his ear.  “It’s so much fun.  They don’t write ‘em like this anymore, Cassie.”  Gabe was shaking his narrow hips and holding his drink over his head, moving sporadically to the music.  Castiel had no idea what the song was, and he told Gabriel so.  “How do you _not_ know ‘The Macarena?’” Gabriel stopped dancing and fixed Castiel with a look.

“I prefer music that is less…repetitive,” Cas intoned.

“Damn, Cassie,” Gabriel started dancing again.  “Live a little.”

“What are they even saying, Gabriel?” Castiel asked him.  “I don’t understand these lyrics.”

“It’s in Spanish, dumbass,” Gabe laughed.

Castiel took a sip of his drink and fixed his brother with a stare.  “I am neither dumb, nor an ass,” he said.  “And I speak Spanish.  You know that.”  He squinted his eyes and looked thoughtful, listening.  “But they sound like they’re mumbling.”

“I know, I know,” Gabriel said, wiggling around Castiel’s stool at the end of the bar.  “You speak, like, a million languages including Latin.  I remember.”

“You’re mocking me,” Cas said.

“You’re getting better at picking up on that,” Gabe said.  He moved around Cas and sank down on the bar stool next to his brother.  “Okay, enough dancing—anyone catch your eye yet?”

Castiel rolled his eyes.  Every time his brother dragged him out, he always tried to set him up.  It was exhausting.  Cas wasn’t the most social of men and even the thought of just making conversation with a stranger made him feel sweaty.  But, like clockwork, a least once a month, Gabe would come pick him up and force him out to their friend Balthazar’s bar for the night. 

The first time, Cas had actually went home with the guy that Gabriel had pulled for him.  The sex had been terrible.  Now, Cas did his best to leave alone, so not to have a repeat performance of that disaster.  “I can pick up people on my own, you know,” he said for the hundredth time.

“Yeah,” Gabriel nodded.  “But you don’t.  You work, and go home to play with your cat—who is Satan, by the way—and you never have sex.  It’s sad, Cassie.  And your lack of a love life kind of depresses me a little.”

“I think you get around enough for the both of us,” Castiel said in a rare moment of rudeness. 

Gabriel didn’t even flinch.  He just let out a boisterous laugh and downed the rest of his cocktail.  “That I do,” he agreed.

“Besides,” Castiel raised his finger to signal Meg that he would like another drink, “it’s always the same men in here.”

“And you’ve already written off _every_ gay man in Sioux Falls?” Gabriel squinted.  “That’s a horrible way to go about dating.”

“Most people here aren’t looking to _date_ ,” he pointed out.  “They just want a quick lay.”

“Sometimes that’s a good thing,” Gabriel said.  “Isn’t that right, Meg, my sweet?”

The bartender glared at them over the counter.  Gabriel was a regular and she was used to his flirtatious ways, but she always acted as though he was a bug that she wanted to squash.  “I’m pretty sure that you’ve had a quick lay with everyone in here tonight, except me,” she said.

“Meet me in the bathroom on your break?” Gabe wiggled his eyebrows at her.

“I’ll pass,” she dead-panned.  “What can I get you Clarence?”  Castiel didn’t bother to correct her.  The first time she had called him ‘Clarence,’ he’d said that it wasn’t his name.  She had only laughed and kept using it for him anyway.  He didn’t know why.

“Vodka tonic, please,” he requested.

“Double?”

“I shouldn’t.”

“Come on, Cassie,” Gabriel said.  “You don’t have to work tomorrow.  Go for it!”  Caving, Castiel nodded at Meg and watched as she grabbed a glass, filling it with ice.  “Okay, back to Operation: Get Cas laid,” Gabriel scanned the bar. 

More people had arrived since they sat down and he seemed to like the options in front of them.  Castiel made a half-hearted glance around the space and decided that no one looked appealing to him.  Meg set a tall glass down in front of him and Cas took a sip.  He almost spat it back out as soon as it touched his lips.  “Too strong?” Meg giggled at him.

“This is all alcohol,” Cas told her.

“Yeah, it is.  You have about two centimeters of tonic in there,” Meg smiled slyly.  “As much as your brother annoys the piss out of me, he’s right.”  Cas cocked an eyebrow.  “You need sex, Clarence.  Let loose a little and get your freak on!”

Castiel muttered something under his breath and took another drink, prepared for the burn this time.  “I’m perfectly fine.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Meg waved her hands at his drink, miming that she wanted him to take another gulp.  “More,” she smiled.  “Drink more!”

The door of the bar cracked open and Meg looked over Castiel’s shoulder, watching someone enter.  “New customers,” she announced.  “Gotta go earn my keep.”  She moved off down the bar to where two men were taking their seats.

Castiel froze.  He watched as the new arrivals sat down and joked with Meg for a moment before placing an order.  He caught a few words of their conversation, enough to know that this was their first time at The Pan-ty Dropper.  Both of the men were strikingly attractive, but Cas’ eyes were drawn to the shorter one sitting closest to him.  He felt a pull in his gut that he didn’t recognize at first.  Blinking, he realized that what he was feeling was pure _want._  

“Woah,” Gabriel leaned into him and slapped a palm onto Cas’ shoulder.  “Look at that tall drink of man.”  Realizing that he had been blatantly staring, Cas turned away from the two men and focused intently on his incredibly strong cocktail.  “I haven’t been this turned on in a week,” Gabe continued.

“He’s quite attractive,” Cas murmured.

“What’s this?” Gabe smiled at him.  “My baby bro finally deems someone worthy of his attentions?”

“What?” Cas looked up at Gabriel with wide eyes.  “No, Gabe, please.”

“Come on,” Gabriel laughed.  “It’s harmless.  Let’s go talk to them.”

“No,” Cas tried to be firm.

“Your loss,” Gabriel smirked.  “I’m gonna go get us some.”

Before he could protest, his brother had scooped up his drink and was halfway down the bar, approaching the insanely hot duo sitting there.  Cas watched, a feeling of dread creeping into his gut, as Gabriel sidled up them with a smirk on his features.  This was not good.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Gabe drink a little too much and try to throw Sam and Castiel together.

Despite his initial hesitation, Dean was actually enjoying himself.  Once his purple nurples were gone, he asked Meg if she had a cocktail menu, determined to try something outrageous while he could.  His normal sort of bars would have laughed him right out the door if he had dared order something with one of those tiny umbrellas in it—now was his chance.  He settled on the ‘Love Potion’ which was apparently mostly vodka, and he specifically requested an umbrella.

Meg had rolled her eyes, but had obliged.  Sam had outright laughed at him and ordered a rum and coke, “Sans umbrella, please.”

“You’re no fun,” Dean grumbled.

“I’m glad you’re having a good time, Dean,” Sam said as they received their drinks.  “See, this isn’t so bad.”

“It’s bearable,” Dean attempted.  Sam knew him well enough to know that he didn’t really mean it.  This was actually incredibly fun.

“Hey,” Sam looked pointedly down the bar.  “There’s two guys watching us.”

Dean didn’t turn around.  He took another sip through the twisty straw that Meg had given him and said, “Are they hot?”

“Yeah,” Sam was serious. 

“Of course they are,” Dean smiled.  “Okay, Game Face, Sammy,” he said.  “We’ll chat them up and you’ll take one home.  Deal?”

“No thanks,” Sam grimaced.  “I’m good.”

“That’s the whole point of tonight though,” Dean whined.  “We are here to get you laid.”

“I don’t need to get laid by picking up some random in a bar,” Sam laughed.  “I can meet someone on campus if I’m that desperate.”

“There’s no shame in a one-night stand with some bar dude—especially if he’s hot,” Dean argued.  “Come on.”

“Oh shit,” Sam said suddenly, ducking his head.

“What?”

“One of them is coming over here.”

“Just one?” Dean asked.

“Yeah,” Sam nodded.

“Okay,” Dean decided.  “You get first dibs.”

Sam rolled his eyes and didn’t respond.  Dean felt someone move behind him and he turned in his seat.  “Hey there,” a short blonde man with a golden tint to his eyes moved to stand in between the brothers.  He was angled so that he could talk to both of them easily.  “What are two gorgeous men such as yourselves doing in a place like this?”

“Gotta work on your pick-up lines, man,” Dean teased.  “I’m Dean.  This is my brother, Sam.”

“Gabriel,” the man said, shaking both of their hands.  He pointed down the bar to a guy sitting all alone with a giant glass in front of him.  “That’s my brother Castiel.  Helluva guy.  He’s looking for a good time.”

“So is Sammy,” Dean said, smiling.

“Dean,” Sam looked sharply at him.

“What?” Dean laughed.  “You are.  So,” he smiled.  “Gabriel?  What’s your brother like?  He doesn’t mind mountain climbing does he?”

Gabriel looked at Sam and ran his eyes over the younger man’s body with a pretty lecherous gaze.  “Well if he has a problem with it, I certainly don’t,” Gabe laughed.

“See, Sammy,” Dean smiled proudly.  “You can have your pick.”

“Very funny,” Sam sounded a little pissed off.

Gabriel gestured to a raised four-top table behind them that had recently been cleaned.  “What do you say to joining us for a round—see if you hit it off?”

“We’d love to,” Dean agreed before Sam could speak.  His brother glared at him and pursed his lips a little—Dean thought it was hilarious.

Gabriel beamed and waved his hand over at his brother, beckoning the mysterious Castiel to join them.  The other man looked just as reluctant as Sam as he slowly stood up and adjusted the giant trench coat hanging off of his shoulders.  Dean grabbed his and Sam’s drinks, effectively forcing his brother to follow them to the table.

The three of them sat down and watched as Castiel moved through the crowd toward them.  When he finally arrived, he took the seat next to Sam and sort of grimaced at all of them.  “Cassie,” Gabriel said.  “This is Sam and his brother, Dean.  Sam is looking for a good time.”  Gabriel winked salaciously.

“I’m not, actually,” Sam turned to Castiel.  “Dean thinks I need to get laid.”  He paused for a second and then said, “I really didn’t mean to say that out loud.  Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Castiel’s voice was incredibly deep and Dean felt a shiver run down his spine.  “My brother seems to be on the same page, though I’m not sure why.” 

Dean felt his mouth fall open a little at the sight of Castiel’s clear blue eyes.  The man had the iciest gaze that Dean had ever seen and he’d always been a sucker for baby blues.  The thick, black lashes didn’t hurt either.  The elder Winchester felt himself sucked in like a punch to the gut.  A little part of him was jealous of Sam.  In the back of his mind, he kind of hoped that Sam passed on taking Castiel home.  Dean wanted a shot.  He shook his head and tried to smile.  Since he wasn’t a cock-block—he’d keep his distance and give Sam his shot, but Dean was seriously tempted to take Cas for himself.

Castiel sat ramrod straight, staring at his drink; while Sam’s eyes were wandering around the bar.  “So, Cas…what do you do?” Dean asked at the same time Gabriel said, “You must work out a lot,” to Sam.

Their brothers both took a moment before Sam replied, “I run.  And occasionally Dean bullies me into the weight room.”  He had a funny look in his eyes as he answered Gabriel.

Castiel shifted in his seat and tried to look anywhere but at Dean’s face.  “I’m a librarian,” he said softly.

Sam turned to Cas, his eyes a little brighter.  “Hey, that’s really cool,” he commented.  “Who’s your favorite author?”  And they were off.

Over the next few minutes, Sam and Castiel engaged in a pretty lively conversation about the books that they were currently reading; while Gabe and Dean smirked at them over the lips of their glasses.  “Nice work, Dean-o,” Gabriel leaned in and said to him.  “Cassie is kind of shy, until you get him going about literature.”

“Hey, whatever works,” Dean replied.  He flagged down a passing waiter and ordered another round of drinks for the table.  “Shots?” he asked the others.

Sam and Cas both shook their heads in the negative, but Gabriel was game.  “It’ll be fun,” Dean said to his brother.  “Four of the…Oatmeal Cookie?  Does that sound good?  That sounds good.”

“Oh yeah!” Gabriel pumped his fist.  “Bring me two!”

“Five Oatmeal Cookie shots,” Dean winked at the waiter.  “Thanks.”

“You know I don’t do shots, Gabriel,” Cas said as he began to pull his coat off and hang it over the back of his chair.

“Live a little,” Gabriel said.  “You’ll love these, Samsquatch,” Gabriel turned toward the younger Winchester.  “Like cookie batter in your mouth.  Not much better than that, except maybe some sem—“

“Gabriel!” Cas snapped.

Sam tried to hide a smile while Dean burst out laughing.  “You’re a fun time, Gabe,” Dean complimented him.  The shorter man tipped his almost empty drink at Dean in a mock toast.

“I like you too,” Gabe winked, but it was most definitely not sincere.

Turning back to Castiel, Sam asked him something about his thoughts on the themes of nature in Tolkien’s ‘The Silmarillion,’ and Dean tuned out.  Cas seemed psyched though, and immediately began a long-winded discussion on his theories.  Moments later, the waiter was back with their order and Dean began to hand out the thick looking shots to the others.  “It’s kind of nasty looking,” he commented.

“It goes down easy,” Gabriel promised.  “First time drinking sweet shots?”

“Sort of,” Dean admitted.  “I’m usually more of a whiskey on the rocks kind of guy.”

“I would have never guessed,” Gabe gestured to Dean’s twisty straw and umbrella drink.

“I’m experimenting,” Dean muttered.

“Not just with drinks?” Gabe pressed.

The table went quiet as they all turned to Dean, waiting to see what he would say.  He bit his lip and finally gave a short nod.  “We both sort of just came out to each other,” he tilted his head toward Sam.  “First time in a gay bar.”

“I’m here pretty much Thursday through Sunday brunch,” Gabe told them.  “Our friend owns the place.”

Dean snorted.  “Really?  What’s he like?  I mean,” he chuckled.  “The place _is_ named ‘The Pan-ty Dropper.  That’s a little weird.”

Gabriel laughed loudly and even Cas managed a small smile and a chuckle.  “He’s a blast.” Gabe told them.  “The name’s a pun.”

Dean looked confused.  “I guessed that, but I’m not exactly sure what it means.”

“Balthazar identifies as pansexual,” Cas explained, still not meeting Dean’s eyes.  “He thinks the name is funny.”  Cas turned slightly toward Sam.  “It’s really not though.”

“I think it’s hilarious,” Gabe said.  He lifted one of his shots and held it out to the others.  “Come on, don’t leave me hanging.”  They all picked up their drinks, both Cas and Sam looking like they were seriously reconsidering their life choices.  Clicking the tiny glasses together, Gabe said, “To new friends, coming out of the closet, and big cock—not necessarily in that order!”

The drinks went down smooth, and afterwards they all agreed that the shots were actually pretty tasty.  Castiel and Sam kept talking to each other about novels, while Dean and Gabriel ordered more drinks.  Around a half an hour later, Gabe convinced Dean to get up and dance, which provided endless amusement for Sam.  Castiel smiled as Sam clicked a few pictures of his brother swaying haphazardly on the dance floor.  “Blackmail for later,” Sam whispered.

At some point, the owner, Balthazar, stopped by their table.  He gave hugs to Gabriel and Cas, and shook hands with the Winchesters.  He was pretty handsy and a terrible flirt, but Dean didn’t seem to notice.  “Please,” he said to Sam and Dean.  “Do _come_ again sometime.  We always love the newbies.  I’ll make sure you’re both treated right.”

When last call finally came with Meg ringing a large booming bell over the bar, Dean winked at Sam as his brother exchanged phone numbers with Castiel.  He was happy that Sammy was making a move, but there was a knot in his stomach as he watched them.  Dean and Gabriel shook hands, promising to meet up the next weekend, which was apparently going to be Karaoke Night. 

Castiel pulled on his jacket and paid the tab for both him and his brother, waving off Dean’s offer to treat them all.  He smiled at Sam, but ducked his head when Dean said goodnight to him.  The Winchester brothers bickered over the car keys, with Dean eventually relinquishing them to his incredibly sober younger brother with a warning of, “Don’t drive like a maniac.”

They called goodbye as they left.  Cas felt a tightness in his chest as the two men walked out of the bar.  Gabriel sidled up to him, slinging an arm around his shoulder and squeezing.  “That was fun,” his eyes twinkled.  “You gonna call the big boy?”  There was something off in Gabriel’s tone.  If Castiel didn’t know better, it sounded as though his brother _didn’t_ want him to call Sam.  Cas wasn’t sure what to make of that.

“Sam seemed very nice,” Cas commented vaguely.  “We have a lot in common.  I wouldn’t mind seeing him again.”

“That other one though,” Gabe poked Cas in the chest.  “You couldn’t stop staring at Dean.”

Clearing his throat, Cas licked his lips.  “I don’t think he was interested.”

“Wait,” Gabriel looked up at his brother.  “What?  You liked _Dean_?  I was just fucking with you!  I did _not_ see that coming!  What about all that literature crap you and Sam were talking about?  I haven’t seen you that relaxed around a hot guy in…ever.”

“I said that Sam and I have a lot in common,” Cas sighed.  “He was easy to talk to, and yes, he’s very attractive.  And I don’t like Dean,” his voice cracked.

“Okay,” Gabriel laughed.  “Sure you don’t.”  The two Novaks made their way to the exit after tossing down a generous tip.  “Just go for it, Cassie.  Maybe it will be a good thing?”

Cas shook his head.  “No.”

“Your loss,” Gabe held the door for him.  “Hey,” he asked as they walked down the street to Castiel’s giant vehicle.  “If you’re not into the Samsquatch—you mind if I have a go?”  He leered across the hood at his brother.

“I doubt that Sam would give you the time of day,” Cas laughed a little.

“Worth a shot,” Gabe shrugged.  They slid into the car and Gabe buckled himself into the passenger seat saying, “Take me home, good sir!”

Castiel dropped his brother off and drove through the dark, empty streets to his own small house near the library.  He locked up and brushed his teeth, all the while seeing the bright green eyes of Dean Winchester in his mind.  It wasn’t until around four in the morning that Cas realized sleep was going to elude him tonight.  All he could think about was _green_ , and freckles, and those hips moving around on the dance floor.  Castiel sighed and rolled over, punching his pillow.  The Winchesters said that they would come back next weekend.  If only Cas could wait that long.  He was a patient man, but this was going to be pure torture.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little NSFW with Dean. Castiel and Sam become friends.

Dean woke up the next morning on the couch with his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, still wearing one of his boots.  His head was pounding and he could smell bacon, which made his stomach roll.  “’Morning, Sleeping Beauty,” Sam called from the small galley kitchen of their apartment.

Groaning, and rolling up into a sitting position, Dean shot a glare over his shoulder at his chipper brother.  “Sam, turn off the window.”

“What?” Sam laughed at him.

“Bright.  Sun.”  Dean managed.

“You really tied one on last night,” Sam commented as he came over and shut the rickety blinds.  He sat down in the recliner with a plate of bacon and eggs and began shoveling food into his mouth.  “Hungry?” Sam held some egg out on his fork toward Dean.

Pulling away, Dean shook his head and tried to stand up.  He teetered a little and swore, kicking off his remaining boot.  “I’m going to shower,” he announced.

Sam just nodded as he made his way down to the bathroom.  “We have dinner with Jody and the girls tonight,” his brother called as Dean locked himself in the bathroom, grunting in response.  His head was splitting open and his thighs were burning.  Why were his thighs burning?  Dean narrowed his eyes and walked back out into the living room.  “Why do my legs ache?”

A burst of laughter made Sam spit out a little bacon.  “Dude,” he said.  “You don’t remember cutting up the dance floor at The Pan-ty Dropper last night?”

“I don’t dance,” Dean insisted.

“Last night you did,” Sam’s shoulders were shaking.  “You looked like you may have been having a stroke, but you seemed into it.”

“Jesus,” Dean turned and went back to the restroom.  He locked himself in and brushed his teeth, swearing under his breath.  “I don’t dance,” he said firmly to his reflection.  He ran the water in the shower at a scalding hot temperature and stepped in.  Rolling his neck, Dean let out a groan.  That felt really good.  He closed his eyes, relishing in the hot stream down his sore back.  There was a flash of bright blue behind his eyes and he gasped as he straightened up to his full height.  Blue.  Why was he remembering blue?

Just thinking of the color sent a rush of blood south, and Dean grunted.  His cock was at full-mast and he didn’t know why.  Shit.  Dean stood under the hot spray of water for a few minutes trying to will himself down.  When that didn’t work, he grabbed a bottle of Sam’s fruity smelling body wash, that Dean definitely didn’t like, and squirted a glop of it into his palm.  He ran his soapy hand through the hair at the base of his dick and carefully palmed himself.  A light squeeze and he knew he was going to have to see this through.

Bracing himself on the frozen tile of the shower wall, Dean let his forehead rest against his arm as he began to furiously stroke himself.  He bit his plump lip and groaned, speeding up his movements.  The tile under his arm was smooth and wet.  He jerked a little as he pumped his hips and lost his balance.  Catching himself, Dean yelped when a bottle of shampoo dislodged from the small built-in shelf and landed on his foot.  Despite the pain, he kept his hand on his cock, stroking blindly as he sought release.

“You okay in there?” Sam’s voice came through the door.  He sounded like he was laughing.

“Fine, Sam,” Dean snapped.  “Totally awesome.  Go away.”

“Okay,” Sam was full on cackling at him.  “Have fun.  Don’t use my body wash as lube.”

“Too late,” Dean shouted.

“Shit,” he heard Sam mutter before walking away.

Gripping himself, he twisted his wrist and curled his hand around his hard dick.  He ran his thumb over the slit and gasped.  Everything was tingling.  He hadn’t been so worked up in years.  Blue.  There it was again.  Why was he seeing big blue eyes and dark lashes?  Dean thought about how he wanted those eyes to be watching him right now and bucked his hips.  Seconds later, he was coming in white ribbons, mostly hitting the wall of the shower.  He groaned long and loud, finally stilling as he began to come down from his high.  Shit, that had been really good.

Composing himself, Dean washed his hair and skin—with Sammy’s things—before using the detachable shower head to spray off the wall where his spunk was sliding along the tile.  He didn’t need to hear Sam complain about semen in the ‘common shower.’  He turned off the water and stepped out, dripping.  He used Sam’s towel to dry off and hung it back where he found it so that Sam wouldn’t suspect.

Dashing across the hall, completely naked, Dean shut himself in his room and began to rummage around for some clean clothes.  Dinner at Jody’s meant he had to try and make an effort.  He pulled on a pair of jeans with no holes and a black long-sleeved Henley.  That should be fine.  Heading back out to the living room and feeling a little less like puking, Dean slumped down on the couch.  Sam had the television on and ‘Kill Bill Vol.2’ was playing.  “Nice,” Dean complimented.

“Yeah, it was right at the beginning.  I think they played the first one earlier,” Sam said.

They settled into a companionable silence while they watched Beatrix Kiddo wade her bloody way through her enemies for a half an hour.  Finally, Dean yawned.  “What time do we have to leave?”

“Well,” Sam scratched his head.  “Dinner’s at six.  But you told Jody that you’d check the oil on her truck, so I figured we could get there around four.  That way you’d have enough time to do that before we eat.”

“It’s three-fifteen now,” Dean pointed out.

“Yeah,” Sam nodded, not moving.  “I’m ready to leave whenever.”

Dean stood up and wandered into the kitchen.  He pulled out some aspirin and dry-swallowed three of them.  “I’ll get my shoes,” he said.  “I need to stop for gas, so let’s just leave now.”

“Cool,” Sam said casually.

A few minutes later they were out the door and on the road.  Jody’s ranch house was only a few miles from their new apartment and there were plenty of gas stations along the way.  Dean pulled into the one that he usually frequented and filled up the tank of his Impala while Sam sat in the front seat playing with his phone.  Dean paid for the fuel and climbed back into the driver’s seat.  “Who’s got you blushing like a schoolgirl?” Dean asked.

“What?  No one,” Sam said.

“Who are you texting?  Jess?” Dean referred to Sam’s ex-girlfriend that they had left behind in Kansas.

“No,” Sam was vague and turned the screen off, staring out the window of the car.

“Whatever, Romeo,” Dean chuckled.  “Don’t tell me about the hot date you’re obviously planning.  So,” he glanced quickly at Sam before turning back to the road.  “You meet someone last night?”

“Kind of,” Sam hedged.

“What’s he like?” Dean pressed.

“Dean,” Sam sighed.  “You were there.”

They reached Jody’s street and Dean grunted in response.  He didn’t want to admit to Sam that he had little, to no, recollection of the previous night after walking into the bar and getting a purple nurple.  Sam would tease him about having a low alcohol tolerance.  Dean was pretty sure that he hadn’t had _too_ much to drink.  Then again, Sam had said he was dancing—in public—so maybe he’d over indulged a little.

Dean made sure to park his car along the curb away from other people and locked up.  They were greeted at the front door by Jody’s foster daughter, Claire, who was grinning at them with twinkling eyes.  “You boys have fun last night?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Dean shrugged.

Claire stared at him.  “Anyone get laid?”

“We are not talking about that with you,” Dean said firmly.  “You’re—what?  Twelve?  Thirteen maybe?”

“I’m seventeen, asshat,” Claire let them into the house.

“It was a good night,” Sam told her.  “Thanks for telling me about that place.”

“Anytime,” Claire wandered away.

Jody came around the corner and smiled warmly at them.  “My boys!”  She pulled Sam into a hug first and then it was Dean’s turn.  “I’m so glad you’re back.”

“Us too, Jody,” Sam smiled.

“You ever gonna tell me _why_ you’re back in Sioux Falls for the first time in six years?” Jody looked at each of them with the ‘mom face.’  “You show up in the middle of the night in a storm, crash on my floor, and I get _nothing_ from either of you.”

“Hey, I’m gonna look at your truck, okay?” Dean said, making his escape.  He wasn’t ready yet to tell Jody that they had basically ran from their dad for what could be considered a minor reason by some people.  The more that Dean thought about it, the more embarrassed he felt.  He wasn’t afraid of standing up to his father—he just didn’t want Sam to go through it if the old man wasn’t supportive.  It was easier to just take off.

Dean wandered outside and got the hood up on Jody’s ancient pickup.  He could see Sam through the window, sitting at the kitchen table, talking to Jody as he ate what looked like carrot sticks.  He was just pulling out the oil dipper when Claire walked into yard and leaned against the side of the truck. 

“Funny story,” she said.  “Sam asked me where the nearest gay bar was the other day.”  Dean grunted.  “He said you needed to get laid.”

“Okay, first off,” Dean lifted his head.  “Sammy’s the one who needs sex, not me.  And secondly, this is not a conversation that I’m going to have with you.”

“I’m just wondering why Sam would want to go to a gay bar to wing-man _you_?” Claire giggled, which sounded weird coming from her.  “Are you all about the penis now?”

Glaring at her, Dean set down the greasy rag he’d been holding and stared her down.  “So what if I am?”

She shrugged.  “That’s cool.”  It was simple.  As though she really didn’t care either way.  Dean was a little surprised.  He supposed that teenagers were more open to that sort of thing, but he was still taken aback.  “Look,” Claire moved toward him.  “If you think that me, or Alex, or even Jody and Bobby are going to care if you swing both ways—you’re an idiot.  No one cares.  They’ll still love you.”

“Will you love me?” Dean asked sarcastically.

“No,” Claire smiled.  “I’m not even sure if I like you yet.  You just sort of showed up in my life two weeks ago.”

“Fair enough,” Dean replied.

“If you’re not telling Jody because you’re worried she’ll, like, _hate_ you, or something, then don’t worry.”  Claire’s tone was convincing.  “Don’t hide something like that from the people that care about you.”

“I’ll take it under advisement,” Dean said, mostly to shut her up.

He tinkered around with the oil in silence as Claire watched him.  After about fifteen minutes he wiped his hands on a rag and closed the hood of the truck.  The two of them walked back into the house without saying a word.

All through dinner, Dean thought about what Claire had said.  He knew, deep down, that she was right.  Jody and Bobby wouldn’t care—and he didn’t know Alex well enough for her opinion to sway him.  He was still hesitant though.  Something was holding him back, but he couldn’t figure out exactly what it was.

Sam chattered on about his plans for the rest of the week as they drove home that night.  Dean didn’t say much, he just tried to concentrate on driving.  His head was too full to really give his attention to his brother, and that make him feel a twinge of guilt.  Once they were back at their place, Sam announced that he wanted to re-read some book with a weird name that Dean couldn’t pronounce.  The Sill-a-something.  Whatever.

After Sam had said goodnight, Dean turned on the battered television in the corner of the room and stared blankly at it, flipping channels.  He made it almost a half an hour before he gave up and went down the hall to his bedroom.  Flopping on his bed, Dean stared out the tiny window up at the moon, trying to clear his mind.  Blue.  Again with the blue.  What the hell?

He rolled over on his side and shut his eyes tight, willing sleep to come.  Tomorrow, he’d spend the day making a bunch of food that would last them for the rest of the week, and that would probably distract him.  Despite his wishing, it took Dean Winchester a very long time to find sleep that night.

* * *

“Thank you for visiting the Sioux Falls Public Library.  Please, come again,” Castiel said to the elderly woman that he had just helped.  He watched her move away, carrying some paperback romance novels, before he glanced up at the next person in line.  “Sam!” he said happily.  “It’s good to see you.”

“You too, Cas,” Sam smiled down at him.  “Hey, so, as we told you the other night, we’re new in town.  I don’t have a library card yet.”

“I can help you with that,” Castiel offered.

“Great,” Sam said.  “Do you usually run the front desk?  I didn’t think the head librarian did that.”

Cas shook his head.  “Not usually, no.  But my assistant librarian, Hael got food poisoning from clams or some such thing last night.  She was unavailable for her shift today.”

Sam wrinkled his nose.  “That sucks.”

“I find seafood to be iffy when you don’t live near a large body of water,” Castiel observed as he typed into the ancient computer on his desk.  “Driver’s license with a current address?” Sam shook his head.  “Do you have a utility bill?”

“Yeah,” Sam reached into his dusty green bag and pulled out an electricity bill with the correct address on the front.  “I haven’t had a chance to get to the DMV yet.”

“I try to avoid that place like the plague,” Cas sympathized.  “It’s so unpleasant there.”  Castiel asked Sam a few questions and typed in the response.  He pulled out a shiny, laminated library card and scanned it with a handheld device before giving it over to Sam.  “Check out is for a week, but only three days for DVDs.  You can have up to ten items out at one time.  Overdue fees are due before you are permitted to take anything else home.”

“Sounds good,” Sam said.  “I’m going to look around.  I’ll be back for sure though.”

He watched Sam wander away, headed for the biography section of the library.  Cas smiled a little.  He always liked signing up new members, it made him feel happier.  A young girl approached asking for help with the computer sign-ins and Castiel moved off to assist her.  He checked out a few more patrons and watched the second hand tick by on the clock.

Normally, he enjoyed being at the front desk.  It broke up his usual routine and made the day go by quickly.  But today, he was feeling antsy and couldn’t seem to concentrate.  His mind had been on Dean Winchester for three days and he felt as though he was losing it.  All that he knew was that he couldn’t say anything about his ridiculous crush to Sam.  Cas had trouble making friends due to his slightly introverted nature.  He wasn’t about to throw a perfectly good friendship away by confessing his unrequited feelings to the man’s brother.  Especially since Gabriel and Dean had practically tossed Sam into his lap on Friday night.

Cas jumped as a large stack of books was placed in front of him.  He looked up and saw Sam looking down on him sheepishly.  “I think I got carried away,” Sam said.  “You said ten at once right?”

Quickly counting up the stack of books, Cas smiled.  “You have exactly ten.”

“I know,” Sam laughed.  “And I’ll probably be back before the weekend.  I’m a fast reader.”

“Me too.”  Cas began to scan the books that Sam had selected.

“Hey, when do you get lunch?” Sam asked suddenly.

Castiel looked up in surprise.  “Right about now actually,” he said.  “I was going to take mine once I’d finished with you.  Why?”

Sam shrugged and looked a little nervous.  “There’s a place down the street that has sandwiches and coffee and stuff.  I thought maybe we could go together?”

Was Sam Winchester asking him out on a date?  Castiel didn’t really know what to do with that.  “Um,” he said eloquently.  “Sure?”  This was a date, wasn’t it?  Shit.  Cas really enjoyed Sam’s company, but he was nursing a sizable _thing_ for the man’s brother.  This was a bad idea, and Castiel knew it.  Sam looked so excited though, that Cas just grit his teeth and smiled back.

Once Sam was ready to go, Castiel passed off the front desk to one of his part-time workers, reminding the college student to call his cell phone if anything happened while he was gone.  He met Sam at the entrance to the library and was a little embarrassed when the taller man held the door open for him.

They walked down the road to the relatively new café on the corner.  There was a chalkboard sign in the window proclaiming the place to be ‘Donna’s.’  A small bell tinkled overhead as they entered.  There was no one in line, but most of the tables were full.  Sam walked straight up to the counter and smiled at the blonde woman standing there.  “Welcome to Donna’s—I’m Donna.  What can I do ya for?” she said in a thick Minnesota dialect.

“I’d kill for a Rueben,” Sam told her.

“Oh, that’s my favorite,” she grinned.  “And you?” She turned to Castiel.

“We aren’t together,” Cas said.

“It’s cool,” Sam smiled at him.  “I got it.  I invited you out to lunch after all.”

Cas tried to breathe.  This was definitely a date.  People invited someone out—and then paid—on dates.  This was actually happening.  Cas felt a little queasy.  He liked Sam—as a friend—and this was unquestionably a date.  Shit, shit, shit.  “Um, the tuna salad sounds fine,” he managed.

“Okie dokie,” Donna chirped, ringing them up.  “That will be fourteen dollars and twenty-two cents.  If you boys want to grab a chair, I’ll have that right out for you.”

Sam paid her and then walked to an empty table by the window.  Cas felt his feet dragging as he followed.  He was going to have to come clean to Sam.  He just hoped that Sam wasn’t upset that he’d already paid for Cas’ meal when the librarian was about to burst his bubble.  They sat, and Castiel folded his hands in his lap, looking down.  “You okay?” Sam asked him.

“Yes,” Cas responded automatically.  “I mean, no.”

“No?” Sam raised an eyebrow.

“I’m fine,” Cas amended.  “It’s just,” he sighed.  “I don’t want to give you the wrong impression.”  Sam stared at him.  “I know how things were at the bar.  That Gabriel and…Dean,” he could barely say the man’s name!  “Dean,” he repeated.  “Were pushing us together.  I like you Sam, I do.  But I’m just not sure that—“

“Woah,” Sam laughed and held up his hands.  “Do you think this is a date?”  Castiel nodded miserably.  “It’s not.”

Cas’ head shot up.  “What?” he said.  “But, you paid?”

“Yeah, friends can treat each other once in a while,” Sam smiled at him as though Castiel was the most amusing person in the universe.  “I like you too, man,” Sam said.  “But I just really don’t feel a _spark_ with you.  Sorry.”

“No!” Cas said loudly.  “No, I understand.  I enjoy your company and would like to be friends with you as well.  But I don’t feel attracted to you either.”

“Awesome,” Sam laughed.  “Not that you aren’t a good-looking guy,” he winked at Cas who blushed straight to the roots of his dark hair.  “You’re just not really my type.”

Furrowing his brow, Cas tilted his head, just as Donna sauntered over with their food.  “Rueben for you, cutie,” she set down Sam’s plate.  “And a tuna salad for my favorite librarian.”

Cas was embarrassed that she obviously knew who he was, but he didn’t recognize her.  “Thank you.”  Once Donna had left, Cas allowed Sam to take a bite of his sandwich before he spoke.  “Why did you invite me out then?”

“Honestly,” Sam swallowed.  “I’m new here.  And don’t really know anyone except Dean and Jody and her kids—long story.  I thought you and I could be friends and…I sort of want your opinion on something.  It may be a little weird though.”

“Okay,” Cas took a bite of his tuna salad and was surprised at how good it was.  The dressing that mixed it all together was pleasantly tangy and the bread tasted fresh.  “What would you like to ask me?”

Sam chewed thoughtfully before setting his sandwich down firmly and grimacing.  “Okay, here goes.  Do you think your brother Gabe would be interested in going to dinner with me.  As in a date.  Not like this.  But, like, we eat food and drink and talk and maybe hook up?”

Castiel opened his mouth and some tuna fell out onto his plate.  “Sorry!” he shouted, grabbing a napkin.  “Sorry, I honestly didn’t see that coming.”

“It’s okay, man,” Sam laughed.  “But seriously?  You think I have a shot?”

Pursing his lips, Cas contemplated it and then looked up at Sam who seemed so incredibly nervous that it broke Cas’ heart just a little.  “For one night, definitely,” he said finally.  “You’re _very_ much his type and he would take you home in a heartbeat.”

“But?” Sam’s brow furrowed.

“But, my brother doesn’t really do ‘relationships,’” Castiel decided to be honest.  “I haven’t seen him date anyone since high school—at least not for more than a week or so.”

Sam ducked his head, seeming a little discouraged before he began to eat again in silence.  Castiel let him chew for a few moments, feeling sad.  “You know,” Sam said.  “That’s okay.”

“You seem like the type to want something real,” Cas said.  “Gabe isn’t that kind of man.”

Shrugging, Sam gave him a half-smile.  “Maybe I can change his mind?”

Cas snorted.  “Good luck.  I mean that.”

“Well, if you’re cool with it, then I think I’m going to go for it,” Sam decided.  Castiel just nodded and continued eating.  He knew that this was probably going to leave the younger Winchester with a broken heart, but who was he to make a judgement.  If Sam wanted to pursue something with Cas’ playboy brother then so be it.

“You know,” Sam said after a while.  “Dean’s the same way.  He doesn’t get involved.  Just in case you were wondering.”

Castiel didn’t know what to say to that.  Apparently his feelings were quite transparent.  He knew that trying to make something happen with Dean was a mistake, but he couldn’t forget the man’s perfect face.  Cas just nodded and continued to eat his tuna.  Sam eventually changed the subject slightly, confirming their plans to all meet at The Pan-ty Dropper again on Friday night.

When they parted ways after lunch, Cas walked back to the library very slowly.  He had tried to give Sam the best advice that he could.  He also knew, that if he had any intelligence at all, that he would try to take the same advice for himself.  Despite being a very smart man, Cas found himself wanting to do something stupid for once.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Castiel is very straightforward and Gabe makes a confession...

After spending most of the week underneath a variety of automobiles, Dean was anxious for the weekend to begin.  He had started watching the clock on Friday around nine and it didn’t go unnoticed by his boss.  Bobby kept shouting at him that he didn’t pay Dean to stand around and look pretty.  Dean thought it was funny, and would usually sass the older man right back.

When five pm hit, Dean let out a whoop, cleaning up his bay and tool chest as quickly as possible.  He called out to Bobby that he was heading home and jumped in his car, throwing some dust as he peeled out of the lot.  Sam was already at home and dressed, waiting for him when Dean slammed though the front door.  “One second,” he called, racing down the hall to his room.

He found a plain white t-shirt and his tightest pair of jeans, admiring his own ass in the bathroom mirror before he joined Sammy out front.  The night was fairly warm, so he left his trademark leather jacket on the kitchen chair and bounded out to the car.  Sam was already in the passenger seat, looking at his phone.  “Ready?” Dean asked as he got in.

“Yup,” Sam nodded.

“Hey, maybe we’ll meet people tonight?”

Dean looked almost excited and Sam smiled at him affectionately.  “We met people last week, remember?”

“We did?” Dean turned the corner and pulled out onto the main road.  “Huh.  Weird.”

“Wait,” Sam glanced at his brother.  “You don’t remember hanging out with those two hot guys last weekend?”

“No,” Dean said.  “They were hot?  Did they buy us drinks?  Did you take one of them home?  How did I miss this?”

Sam burst out laughing which startled Dean a little.  “Dude,” Sam choked.  “They were _very_ hot.  I think we all paid for ourselves though.  But you and Gabe kept ordering shots.  No wonder you don’t remember anything.  Well, shit.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Sam chuckled.  “This should be pretty interesting then.”

Dean found a spot near the bar and angled his Baby up to the curb.  Once they were parked and locked, he and Sam wandered a few feet down to the entrance of the bar.  There was a tall guy in a black hat sitting out front checking IDs.  He grinned as Sam and Dean walked up to them.  “Couldn’t stay away, could you?  I knew you boys would have a good time here.”

“Do we know you?” Dean looked confused as he handed over his license.  The guy seemed vaguely familiar, but Dean couldn’t seem to place him.

The bouncer waived them off.  “I remember you two are old enough to indulge.  And yeah, I met you, sort of.  Last weekend.  Name’s Benny.  Don’t forget it now,” he laughed and ushered the brothers inside.

“Guy seems nice,” Dean commented.

“He was leering at you,” Sam pointed out.

“That’s because I’m fucking fine,” Dean ran his hands over his own pecs and laughed.

When his brother rolled his eyes, Dean laughed even harder, pulling them both up toward the counter.  He sat down and pointed at the girl behind the bar.  “Meg!” he shouted.  “I know you.”

“That you do,” she looked at him strangely. 

Meg glanced over at Sam who shrugged and said, “He doesn’t remember much from last weekend.”

“Shocking,” Meg intoned.  “I’m not surprised with the amount of shots you boys ordered.  Nice tip though, thanks.”  She gave Sam a little salute with two fingers.  Placing coasters in front of them once more, Meg smiled saucily.  “What’ll it be?”

“Oooh,” Dean hummed.

“No purple nurples,” Sam said firmly.  “Or cookies, or dragon-fires, or anything else that we had last week.”

“Damn,” Dean pretended to sulk.  He looked over the cocktail list that Meg had handed him for a moment.  “What about a Lime Shandy?  Does that come with a teeny tiny umbrella?”

“Boy,” Meg rolled her eyes.  “You are _such_ a Bottom.”

“I should take offense to your tone, but I don’t care.  I am proud of who I am.  Bring me an umbrella drink!” Dean laughed heartily.

Sam ordered another rum and coke and Meg wandered away.  “What’s with this sudden obsession with umbrella drinks?” Sam asked, even as he scanned the room looking for someone.

“They’re fun and they make me feel like I’m on the beach,” Dean said.  “Who are you looking for?”

A short, blonde man walked right up to the pair of them and winked.  “Maybe he’s looking for me?”  Sam looked fondly down at the guy and Dean was confused.  “Fancy meeting two handsome gentlemen such as yourselves here,” he said to them.  Dean felt a flash of deja-vu. 

“Hi, Gabe,” Sam said in a friendly tone, a slight blush rising on his cheeks.

The shorter man took a step backward and looked up at Sammy with a question in his golden eyes.  “How’d you know my name?”

“You know this guy?” Dean looked at his brother.  “How?”

Sam stared at both of them.  “Seriously?” he asked.  “Gabe, you don’t remember me?” Sam sounded a little hurt.  “We met him last weekend when we came here.  How do you not remember that, Dean?”  Dean stared back blankly.  “Wow,” Sam laughed.  “I thought you were joking in the car.  Obviously not.  You were _much_ drunker than I thought.”

“Hey, we’ve already met!  This is perfect,” Gabe laughed.  “Now I don’t have to go through the awkward introduction crap with you guys.  Hey,” he called over his shoulder.  Cas materialized next to him.  “This is my brother Cassie.”

“Yeah,” Sam smiled.  “We met him too.  Hey, Cas.”

“Hello, Sam,” Castiel said formally.  “Dean.  How are you?”

“Wow,” Dean breathed.  “You are…really hot.  How do I not remember meeting you?”  He froze and looked at Sam, startled.  “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

“Yes,” Cas met his eyes.  “I did hear that.”

“Shit,” Dean said.  “Can we start over?”

“If you wish,” Cas replied.

Dean held out his hand.  “Dean Winchester.  I’m an Aquarius, and you are _gorgeous_.  Wow,” he said.  “I just did it again.  Damn.”

Gabriel laughed at him.  “You sure you aren’t drunk yet?”

“Totally sober,” Dean said, not taking his eyes off of Cas’ face.  This guy, Castiel, had the bluest eyes he had ever seen.  Blue.  Wait.  Dean shook his head.  He had been seeing blue in his mind all week—was this why? 

Dean could hear his brother talking to Gabriel, re-introducing himself.  “So, Sam,” Gabriel was saying.  “Is it true that tall guys like you have big feet as well?”

Normally Dean would have jumped in to wing-man his brother, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Cas’ face.  They were kind of just staring at each other, which should have been creepy.  Instead, it actually felt really amazing.  Like a puzzle piece clicking into place.  He heard Sam say, “I’m as big as you’ll need Gabe.”  He managed to pull himself away from Castiel enough to laugh at his brother’s sassy retort.

“I look forward to finding that out for myself, big boy,” Gabe leered up at Sam.

“Woah,” Dean finally looked over at the short man eyeing his baby brother.  “You’re not some creeper dude, are you?”

“Dean,” Sam hissed.  “We _know_ them.  Cas is my friend and I don’t believe that Gabe is a ‘creeper.’”

“Can’t be too careful, Sammy,” Dean pointed out.

Gabe smirked at him.  “I can play the Big Brother Game too, you know,” Gabriel shot a glance at Castiel.  “What do you think, bro?  Is Dean worthy of your affections?”  Cas blushed deeply and looked away muttering something.  “What was that?” Gabe cupped a hand to his ear playfully.

“Shut up Gabriel,” Cas said lowly.  His voice was so deep that Dean felt a full-body shiver.  Damn, that was sexy.  Castiel turned to him and their eyes met.  “Dean,” he said.  “Would you care to accompany me to a table so we can possibly get away from my obnoxious brother?”

“Uh, sure,” Dean said.  At this point, he was pretty sure that he would do anything that sexy, gravelly voice said.  He watched as Cas moved away toward a table across the bar, his bulky trench coat flapping behind him.  Dean turned and started to follow, moving through the press of people.

“Be safe, use a condom,” Gabriel called after them.

Dean flipped him off and hurried to catch up with Castiel.  The blue-eyed angel had found a dark booth in the corner that gave them the advantage of privacy, but still allowed Dean to keep an eye on his brother.  They sat and stared across the table at one another.  Finally, Cas spoke.  “I must be up front with you,” he began.  “Sam came to see me at the library this week—“

“Why at the library?” Dean interrupted.

“I work there,” Cas said slowly, as though he had already told Dean that information.  “I’m a librarian.”

“That’s cool,” Dean said, meaning it.  He wasn’t a huge reader, but he had some of his favorites, and he appreciated the written word.  “I’m a mechanic, out a Singer Auto.”

“I know Mr. Singer,” Cas commented.  “He particularly enjoys the celebrity biographies.  I believe he has checked out Tori Spelling’s book over a dozen times.”

Dean guffawed.  “Oh, that is gold, Cas,” he said.  “I am totally going to bug him about that on Monday.”

“Why?” Cas tilted his head.  “Reading is a wonderful thing.  Why would you tease him about it?”

“Not about reading,” Dean clarified.  “Reading about Tori Freaking Spelling.  He’s always talking about how the ‘celebutantes’ are a ‘drain on society’ and here he is, a closet fan.  I love it!”

“Perhaps I shouldn’t have mentioned it,” Cas wondered quietly.

“I’m glad you did,” Dean reached across the table and grasped Cas’ hand on impulse.

Castiel looked down at their entwined fingers and frowned.  “Dean,” he said.  “As I was saying, when Sam stopped by, he expressed an interest in my brother.”

“Gabriel,” Dean gestured over to the pair still leaning against the bar.

“Yes,” Cas nodded.  “I informed him that Gabriel has some trouble with relationships and would most likely just use him for sex.  He seemed disappointed, but determined to pursue my brother despite what I said.”

Dean’s forehead creased.  “Yeah, that’s not good.  Sammy’s more of a relationship kind of guy.”

“I gathered that,” Cas said.  “Which is why I warned him.”

Dean bit his lip and glanced across the bar.  Sam was perched on the edge of a bar stool, leaning forward to whisper something in Gabriel’s ear.  The shorter man’s hand was resting on Sam’s forearm somewhat possessively. 

“Sam’s a big boy,” Dean murmured as though he was talking to himself.  He looked up at Castiel and said, “I kind of have a big brother complex with Sammy.  I’m always looking out for him—mostly because of how we were raised.  Which I don’t want to get into right now.  I find myself wanting to stay here with you though, and let him fend for himself for one night.”  Dean sighed.  “I guess you’re a bad influence on me, Cas.”

“If you want to go back to your brother, I’ll understand,” Cas said simply.

Dean seemed to consider it, throwing one more glance toward the bar and then shook his head.  “I’m good right here.”  He paused for a moment, seeming nervous.  “I gotta be honest with you too,” he started.  “I’ve got a bit of a commitment issue too, if you were in the market for something more serious.”

“That, I figured out as well,” Cas told him.

“And you’re still sitting here?” Dean smirked.

“You’re very handsome and I haven’t had sex in a while,” Cas shrugged.

“Woah, okay,” Dean chuckled.  “That’s pretty up front, I guess.”  He smiled at Castiel, thinking that this was a guy he could really enjoy for his first _real_ guy experience.  “So, that’s your plan?  Get me all liquored up and take me home to your bed?”

“It crossed my mind,” Cas said.

Dean brightened.  This was way easier than picking up girls.  “What are we waiting for?” he pulled on Castiel’s hand.

Cas remained seated and yanked back, getting Dean to sit back in the booth.  “I know you don’t remember much from last weekend when we actually met,” he began.  “But you implied that you are recently out?”

Dean frowned.  “Yeah, I guess I am.  Sam too.  What does that have to do with anything?”

“Have you ever been with a man before?” Cas asked bluntly.  “It’s just,” he let out a breath.  “I’m not really in the habit of going for inexperience.  This could turn out to be a phase for you and I’m not sure I’m ready to take that leap with someone who isn’t one hundred percent on board with having a cock up their ass.”

Dean’s eyes went wide and he could feel his face heat.  Talk about just putting it all out there.  He really wanted to hear Cas say the word ‘cock’ again, but he knew better than to ask for that.  “I, uh,” he looked down at the table.  He wanted to pull his hand back because he knew his palms were getting sweaty, but Cas kept a firm grip on him.  “I sucked a guy off in the bathroom of a diner a few years ago.  Never caught his name.  But…I liked it.”

“So you enjoyed having a cock in your mouth?”  There it was again.  That sexy, deep voice saying ‘cock.’  Dean felt himself go a little hard in his pants.

“I did, yeah,” Dean said.  It felt really good to finally say it to someone that wasn’t Sam.  Not that he’d actually told Sam about his experiment when they had their heart-to-heart.

Castiel nodded solemnly.  “That’s promising.”  Their eyes met again.  “What are your thoughts on the other thing I mentioned?”

“You mean,” Dean felt himself choking.  “You putting your—in my—yeah--?”

“I would very much like to fuck you, yes,” Castiel said gravely.

“So you would…up inside my…”

“If you can’t talk frankly about this, then perhaps you aren’t ready for it,” Cas suggested as he watched Dean struggle with his words.

“No!” Dean shouted.  A few people close to them turned and looked.  “No,” he said softer.  “I would really like you to… _fuck_ me.  I think I’d like that a lot.  I mean, I’ve never done that.  You know, been… _fucked._   But it sounds really good—especially with you.”

“Excellent,” Cas gave him a small smile.  “Not tonight though.”  And Dean could feel his face fall.  Not tonight?  What?  Why?  “I would appreciate it if you would take a few days to really think about it before we do anything.  It would make me more comfortable to know that you truly do mean what you’re saying.”

Okay, that made sense, sort of.  Dean nodded.  He reached up with his other hand and took Castiel’s free palm.  “Can we at least make out tonight?”

Cas smiled.  “Perhaps.  If you’re a good boy.”

And with that, Dean was fully hard and in danger of creaming his pants.

 

* * *

 

Gabriel had ordered another round of drinks from Meg and Sam could feel his brain buzzing ever so slightly.  He wasn’t sure if it was the booze or the incredibly handsome man who was touching him.  He’d always been attracted to people who were smaller than him, and he knew, when he started watching men as well as women, that finding a guy who fit his ideals would be a little difficult.  Gabriel was much shorter than Sam’s six-foot-four inch frame, but he was powerfully built and looked like he could hold his own.  It was incredibly sexy.

“So, Gabe,” Sam said, trying to clear his head.  “What do you do?”

“Nothing,” Gabe looked up at him impishly.

Sam gave him a look.  “Nothing?  What does that mean?”

Shrugging, Gabriel took a sip of his fresh drink.  “It means I’m rich and don’t have a real job anymore.”

Trying to wrap his mind around the word ‘rich’ being so casually thrown out, Sam said, “Anymore?  So what did you do to become so rich?”  Gabriel pursed his lips and looked embarrassed.  “Porn star?” Sam guessed.

“No,” Gabriel laughed and relaxed a little.  “Although with what I’ve got, I could have been.”

“I’ll judge that for myself,” Sam countered.  Gabriel didn’t seem as though he was going to continue so Sam prodded his shoulder.  “Come on, tell me.  Is it really bad or something?  Hitman?”

“Have you ever heard of ‘Sweets for the Sweet?’” Gabriel finally sighed as though he was in pain.

Sam’s eyes bugged out.  “The chocolate company where everything is under fifty calories and still tastes like its gourmet?  The confections that are touted on national talk shows?  The chocolate that comes in about a hundred different flavors including Birthday Cake and Cookie Dough?  The candies that Dean begs for every Christmas because he feels ‘weird’ buying low-calorie food for himself?  _That_ ‘Sweets for the Sweet?’”

Gabriel looked depressed.  “Yeah,” he said.  “I sort of…invented those candies.  And I own the company.  Whatever.  I don’t do day-to-day shit anymore so I don’t really have a job.”

“Shit, Gabe,” Sam said.  “You’re like a multi-millionaire!”

“Technically I hit billionaire status last holiday season,” his shoulders slumped.  “I’m like the Hershey guy now or some shit.”

“Holy crap!”

“You don’t want to sleep with me now, do you?” Gabe asked sadly.  “No one wants to sleep with me when they find out I have money.  They just want a Sugar Daddy with none of the fun, naked touching part.”

“Well, I guess with the candy aspect, you’re definitely a Sugar Daddy,” Sam tried to joke.  “Honestly, Gabe, I don’t really care.”

Gabriel looked up at him with hope in his eyes.  “Really?”

Shaking his head, Sam shrugged.  “No.  Dean and I have been bordering on poverty our whole lives.  I’m not really into material crap.”  He smiled at the expression on Gabriel’s face.  “I mean, I’d probably get pissed and put up a fight if you tried to pay for dinner tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow night, huh?” Gabe said.  “You’re that sure of the yes?”

“I’m feeling confident,” Sam smiled.  “You game?  I’m inviting, so I pay or it’s no deal.”

Gabriel pretended to think about it.  “It’s a date.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Gabe have a conversation  
> NSFW Destiel

Both sets of brothers went home alone that night.  Everyone had exchanged phone numbers and Dean wasn’t even in the door to his place when his phone pinged with a text from Castiel, inviting him out for dinner on Tuesday night.  He replied positively and they set up a time to meet after work.

The next morning, Dean woke up to Sam singing off-key in the shower and using all of the hot water.  He didn’t really mind though.  They spent the day lazing around the house and watching movies until it was time for Sam to get ready for his date with Gabe.  Dean had teased Sam about being glued to his phone all day until Sam pointed out that Dean wasn’t any better, constantly replying to Cas.

Despite the fact that Sam had showered that morning, he took another, and then spent almost twenty minutes running back and forth from his room and asking for Dean’s opinion on his clothes.  It was surreal and Dean was a little freaked out at how his brother was acting.  He hadn’t seen Sam like this since Prom when he’d taken that weird girl, Ruby, with the pierced tongue.  Dean shuddered remembering her and hoped that she had moved far away from Sioux Falls in the last few years.

“What about this?” Sam came running out again wearing well-fitting dress slacks, shiny shoes, and a button down shirt with a tie.

“Lose the tie, loser,” Dean said, without looking up from his phone.

“Really?” Sam asked.  “What if we go somewhere nice?”

Dean stopped texting Cas and looked up at his brother with his mouth open.  “Dude,” he said.  “You asked him.  That means that _you_ plan the date.  Didn’t you make reservations?”

Sam went white.  “Fuck!  No.”

“Sucks for you,” Dean laughed and went back to his phone. 

He could hear Sam running around in his room, trying to call various restaurants in an increasingly loud voice.  Finally, Sam returned, sans tie, and flopped down in the recliner.  “I got us in at some steakhouse downtown.  I checked online and the reviews were all good, so that’s something.”

“Yup,” Dean said absently.  “Shouldn’t you be going?” He pointed toward the clock.

“Shit!” Sam jumped up and grabbed his jacket. 

He was almost out the door when Dean yelled, “Wallet!”  He laughed as Sam ran back to his room and then out the door once more.  Dean was just settling in to return to his pretty heated conversation with Cas when he heard the growl of his car’s engine.  “That son-of-a-bitch!” Dean flew to the window in time to see Sam pull out of the lot driving his precious Baby.

* * *

Gabriel had texted him his address earlier and Sam guided Dean’s car through Sioux Falls into increasingly nicer areas.  When he reached the turn for Gabe’s neighborhood there was an actual gate with a real, live, guard sitting in a small box.  Sam gulped and wondered what he was getting himself into.  He pulled up and rolled down the Impala’s window.  “Hi, um,” he stammered.  “I’m Sam Winchester.  I’m going to Gabriel Novak’s house.”

“Identification?”  Sam pulled out his driver’s license and handed it over.  “Straight down this road, make your first right and it’s the second house on the left,” the guard handed him back his ID.  “Have a great night, sir.”

“Thanks, you too,” Sam responded automatically. 

He drove the short distance, marveling at the size of the houses and yards that he was passing.  This was some serious money.  Not that he should be surprised after what Gabe had revealed the previous night.  Still, Sam felt uncomfortable.  This wasn’t a neighborhood that he fit into.

He found the house with the correct address easily, and pulled into the large, curving driveway.  It looped around in front of the house like a highway.  He stopped by the front door and got out, trying to straighten his clothes.  Sam hadn’t even made it to the steps when Gabe came bounding out of the front door, smiling at him.

“Hey Samsquatch,” he said.  “You’re right on time.  Find the place okay?”

“Yeah,” Sam said.  “There’s a guard.”

“It’s a pain in the ass, let me tell you,” Gabe walked toward him.  “He makes all of my sex friends show their ID.”

“He did that to me too,” Sam said, not liking how Gabriel had mentioned his promiscuous pastimes.  It made his stomach roll, and he hated the feeling.

“Well, if tonight goes well, he won’t be asking for your license much longer,” Gabe reached him and straightened up to his full height, grabbing the back of Sam’s head and pulling him down for a long kiss.

When they broke apart, Sam was a little dazed.  He managed to say, “He won’t?  Why?”

Gabe waved his hand casually.  “Oh, once he recognizes you he’ll stop asking.”

Smiling at the meaning, Sam said, “You plan on keeping me around that long?  I thought you didn’t do relationships?”

Winking at him, Gabriel said, “I’m kind of feeling _you_ more than I have anyone else in a very long time.  Maybe I _can_ do relationships?  Who knows?  Let’s find out.”

“I’m on board with that,” Sam found himself saying.

“Is this your car?” Gabe turned, staring at the Impala.  “Holy crap—I would love a car like this.  Original interior too, isn’t it?”  He was leaning in through the passenger window and flat out ogling.  “I have a nineteen seventy-three Charger, but this is _sweet_!”

“It’s Dean’s,” Sam said.  “His most prized possession.  I kind of ‘borrowed it without asking.’”

“You commandeered his car?  Ballsy,” Gabe smiled.  “You ready?”

“Sure,” Sam opened the Impala’s door and Gabriel bounced in.  Sam crossed around back and got into the driver’s seat.  He pulled slowly out onto the street and left Gabriel’s neighborhood, both of them waving at the guard as they drove away.

The conversation kept going easily as they drove the fifteen minutes to the restaurant.  Gabe pointed out that they had valet parking and Sam considered it before he admitted that Dean would kill him if he let someone else drive the car.  They parked down the road and walked up to the steakhouse.  Gabriel had grabbed Sam’s hand as soon as they were out of the car, and he swung their arms back and forth between them.  Sam liked how it felt.

Their reservation was for seven and they arrived at five ‘til.  The hostess seated them at a cozy table for two near the extravagant fireplace in the center of the room.  A young man came by and filled their water goblets before walking away, leaving them alone.  “Now Samuel,” Gabriel said in a mock-stern voice.  “Normally, I like to pamper my dates with champagne, but you did say that you were treating me tonight.  You sure that I can’t convince you to go Dutch?”

Sam glanced down at the menu, taking in the prices.  He could afford it—and eat ramen and hot dogs for the rest of the week.  “I’ve got it.”

Gabriel eyed him suspiciously but didn’t contradict him.  “I’m feeling a martini tonight then,” he announced.

“Sounds good,” Sam smiled.

“Maybe if you have enough, you’ll let me take you home tonight,” Gabe leered at him.

“I’m pretty sure I’m a sealed deal,” Sam joked.

“That’s not going to stop me from wooing you,” Gabriel promised.

“Do your best, Candy King,” Sam laughed.

“You wound me,” Gabe pretended to pout.

A uniformed waiter approached and took their orders for two dry martinis with olives.  He informed them of the specials and disappeared.  “I know this is a nice place,” Gabe commented.  “But Cas has this theory about seafood in a land-locked state, and he’s actually pretty spot on—I’d avoid the salmon.”

“Noted,” Sam said.  “I was going to have the ribeye anyway.”

“Nice.  With mushrooms?” Gabriel asked as though he was testing him.

“Of course,” Sam said.

“Good boy,” Gabe winked.

They ordered their steaks, Sam with the ribeye and Gabe taking the filet.  Alone once more, they raised their martini glasses and clinked them together.  “To…something good,” Gabe said hesitantly.

“I’ll drink to that,” Sam agreed.

They talked on end about different hobbies that they had, discovering that they shared quite a few interests.  Sam mentioned his running again and Gabriel wrinkled his nose.  “I only run when chased.  I’m more of a swimmer.”

“See, I see you doing Zumba,” Sam teased him.

“I would be excellent at Zumba,” Gabe shot back.  “You should see these hips move.”

“I did last weekend,” Sam reminded him.  “And I’m pretty sure I’ll see them again tonight.”

Gabe sucked in a breath.  “Touché.”  They each took a drink.  “So, what made you and Dean move to Sioux Falls of all places?”  Sam hesitated.  “You don’t have to tell me,” Gabe assured him after a moment. 

“No, I mean, I pushed you last night about the candy thing, so,” Sam huffed.  “Basically we both got a little drunk and told each other about liking guys.  Dean didn’t know how our dad would take it so he packed everything and drove here in the middle of the night.”

“Why Sioux Falls?”

“Our last foster mom is here,” Sam said.  “Jody Mills.  She’s the Sheriff.”

Gabe nodded.  “I donate to her campaigns.”

“Awesome,” Sam said happily.  “Yeah, she took us in when Dean was seventeen and I was thirteen.  We were with her for a little over five years.  She let Dean stay even though he’d aged out of Foster Care.”

“You mentioned your dad,” Gabriel said.  “If he’s around why were you in the system?  If you don’t mind me asking?”

Sam cleared his throat.  “Our dad was…difficult.  Can I leave it at that for now?”  Gabriel nodded seriously.  “He took off one night.  We were here, living in a motel on the outside of town.  The night manager reported us to the cops because he knew we were kids and we hadn’t paid for the week.  Jody showed up and took us home.  She got custody as a foster parent and we stayed.  Our dad kind of reappeared at our place in Kansas a few months ago.  He was sober and said he wanted to get to know us again.  Dean didn’t trust him, but I wanted to try and fix things, so he went with it.”

“Dean doesn’t think your dad will accept your sexuality?” Gabriel asked.

“No,” Sam said.  “I think Dean is beyond giving a shit what dad thinks, but he didn’t want me to get in the crossfire in case things went down.  He can be…overprotective.”

“It’s an older brother thing,” Gabriel told him.

“Yeah.  Anyway, we just left.  I don’t think Dean told him where we were going.”

“Wow,” Gabe breathed.  “That’s…heavy.”

“Sorry,” Sam said.

“Don’t be, I asked,” Gabriel assured him.  “Lighter topic?” Sam smiled.  “Rank the Star Wars movies in order and yes, I will be judging you.”

Sam laughed loudly.  He hadn’t felt this good in a long time.  Even talking about his past didn’t make him as upset as it usually did.  He felt safe with Gabriel Novak.  It was like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders and for the first time in as long as he could remember, Sam Winchester was truly happy.

* * *

Having spent most of the day doing laundry, re-reading a romance novel that he would never admit to in public, and texting with Dean, Cas found himself looking out the window and realizing that it was full dark.  The day had completely passed him by.  He shuffled into the kitchen of his small bungalow and pulled out a Tupperware from the freezer.  He poked at the contents, which looked like frost-burned lasagna and threw it into the microwave.

As the appliance clock counted down, Cas texted Dean asking the other man to let him know when he was back home from his weekly family meal.  He threw his phone down, not expecting a response, but it pinged almost immediately.

**From: Dean**

**I’m texting you under the table and Claire is glaring at me because she isn’t allowed to have her phone when we’re eating.**

Cas smiled and shook his head.  His microwave beeped and he used some oven mitts to take the now warm pasta out and move to the table.  He didn’t feel like using a plate tonight, so he just grabbed a fork and ate from the container.

**To: Dean**

**Pay attention to your family or I’ll spank you.**

The text box popped back up within seconds.

**From: Dean**

**Promise ;)**

Laughing, Cas ate his lasagna and tried to craft the perfect response to get Dean really going.  He sincerely hoped that the younger man was taking his idea to really think about what moving forward, with whatever this was, would mean.  He wanted Dean more than he could recall desiring anyone in the past and he didn’t want this to crash and burn.

**To: Dean**

**I have a riding crop with your name on it.**

That should do it.  Then again, Cas worried, Dean _had_ told him that he wasn’t great with long-term.  Castiel was concerned that if he got a taste of Dean Winchester that it would be too painful to give the man up.  This definitely had the potential to blow up in his face.  Not to mention how apprehensive he really was about taking an inexperienced man under his wing, so to speak.

**From: Dean**

**Shit, Cas.  That’s fucking hot.**

Castiel bit his lip, picking up his finished meal and taking it to the sink.  He soaped up the container and washed his fork, placing them on the drying rack for the night.  His cat was curled up on the wingback chair in the living room and he gave the animal a light pat as he began to turn out all of the lamps.  He decided to just go and read in bed until he heard from Dean.  Since Cas hadn’t responded before, the texts stopped for almost an hour before his phone jumped on the bedside table. 

Going to answer, Cas saw that it was actually a call as opposed to a text message.  “Hello, Dean,” he said.

“Your voice is so sexy, Cas,” Dean said.  “I mean, really.  I’m so hard right now just listening to you say my name.”

“Imagine what you’ll feel when I’m inside of you and saying, ‘Dean,’” Cas teased.

“Fuck,” Dean groaned.

“Are you home safely?”

“Yeah,” Dean’s voice was low.  “I kind of booked it out of there after we ate.  Wanted to call you.”

“You shouldn’t neglect your family,” Cas chastised him.

“I didn’t,” Dean said.  “They understand.  Jody wants to meet you.”

“You’ve already spoken to her about me?” Cas’s voice was tinged with concern.  He hadn’t expected that.

“Damn straight I did,” Dean huffed.  “I know you want to go slow or whatever, but I’d like it if you met her and the girls.”  He paused and the silence was heavy.  “I may have just made it sound like we were friends.  I’m not—not really ready to tell her about me just yet.  Is that okay?

“That’s a very big step,” Cas noted.  “I’m not comfortable with a closeted man, but I do respect the fact that you need more time.”

“Thanks, Cas,” Dean said in relief.  “I mean, yeah, eventually I’ll tell her and the girls, but I just…I don’t know.”

Castiel wasn’t quite sure what to say to that.  He opted for levity.  “It’s probably for the best right now.  You wouldn’t want to get Sheriff Mill’s hopes up for you, now would you?  What if we aren’t compatible in bed?”

“Going with the kiss you gave me when we left the bar last night,” Dean chuckled.  “I’m pretty sure we’re going to set your bed on fucking fire.”  The kiss had been completely chaste.  A peck on the lips as they parted ways on the sidewalk in front of the bar.  But both men had pulled away, pupils dilated and breathing heavy.  Cas had certainly felt a spark at the touch.

Cas pondered Dean’s words for a moment, and he realized that he had to agree.  “What are you wearing?” He asked abruptly.

He heard Dean’s breath catch.  “Just my underwear.”

“And what do they look like, Dean?”

“Shit,” Dean said.  “Um, black.  Boxer briefs.  I guess they’re kind of short.  I bought them online from some site that said that, you know, other guys like them like this.”

Castiel could picture it perfectly and he liked what he was imagining.  “So you have short little underwear on?  Dean,” he dropped his voice.  “Would you consider touching yourself for me?”

“Oh yeah,” Dean agreed eagerly.  “Let me just get these off.”

“No,” Cas said sharply.  “Leave them on. Please.”

“If I leave them on, I’m gonna—“ Dean started.

“I would like you to pleasure yourself and come in your underwear,” Cas said gruffly.  “Can you do that for me, Dean?”

“Fuck,” Dean choked.  “Yeah, Cas.  I can do that.”  Through the phone, Castiel could hear a click and then Dean moaned.  “I had to get my lube,” he explained.  “Cas?” Dean asked shyly.  “Are you going to, you know, touch yourself too?”

“If you wish,” Castiel replied.  He really hoped that Dean wished because he was achingly hard.

“Yeah,” Dean said.  “I want you to come too.”

“Are you stroking your cock now?” Cas asked.  He didn’t hear a response so he said, “Dean?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry.  I nodded.  I know you can’t see me when I do that.  Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Cas said.  “Now, I want you to pleasure yourself and while you do that, I want you to picture my lips wrapped around your thick cock.  Can you do that, Dean?”

“Shit, you saying my name is really getting me going,” Dean gasped.

“I want you to picture what it would look like with me sucking you off,” Cas’ voice remained calm as he reached into his own pajama pants and began to jerk his dick.  “Now squeeze the head of your cock very gently and start stroking yourself again.”

“Ugh, Cas,” Dean said.  “I’m going to come if you keep talking to me like this.”

“That’s the idea, Dean,” Cas smiled, moving his hand down his own shaft.  “I want you to come all over your tight little boxers.  I want you to get so dirty for me.  It would make me so happy if you did that, Dean.”

“Shit,” Dean ground out.  “Can I put a finger in myself?”

“I wish you would,” Cas allowed.  The mental image of Dean with a finger in his ass, pleasuring himself, shot a jolt straight to Cas’ cock.  He picked up his own pace, knowing that he wasn’t going to last very long.  “How does it feel?”

“So good,” Dean said.  “I wish it was you.”

“It will be soon,” Cas promised.  He was starting to get angry with his past self for insisting that they wait.  He could be pounding into Dean at this moment, but he had to be responsible and make sure it was really what the other man wanted.  Damn him.

Dean made a grunting sound through the phone and whined, “I’m so close.”

“Good boy,” Cas purred.

Apparently, that sent Dean over the edge and he gasped loudly.  There was a muffled scraping sound as if Dean had dropped the phone.  Soon enough though, he was back and breathing hard.  Cas was coming undone himself.  “I jizzed all in my underwear,” Dean panted. 

Cas groaned and shot is own load into his hand, spurting onto his bare chest.  He slowly came down, his breaths coming in gasps, thinking about how sexy Dean must look in that moment.  His phone vibrated in his hand and he lifted it, noting that a new text message had come through.

**Picture Message From: Dean**

It was a single photo shot of Dean’s view looking down at himself.  Cas’ eyes went wide as he took in the redness of Dean’s cock and the lovely size.  His lover’s black underwear was pulled down enough for Cas to see Dean’s entire dick.  There was a mess of white cum splattered on the boxer briefs and running down inside of the garment.  Dean’s hand was still wrapped around himself, and it too had splashes of spunk covering his fingers and wrist.

It was, by far, one of the sexiest things that Castiel Novak had ever seen.  “You’re amazing, Dean,” Cas praised, lifting his phone to speak again.  “Such a good boy.”

“You’re going to get me hard again,” Dean protested.

“I wouldn’t want that.  You have work in the morning.”

“So do you.”

“Then, let us say good night,” Castiel suggested.

“Sounds good,” Dean yawned.  “I’m beat.  I’m going to go clean up and pass out.”

“Sleep well, Dean,” Cas said softly.  “I’ll see you for our dinner on Tuesday.”

“Can’t wait,” Dean’s voice was sleepy.  “’Night, Cas.”

“Goodnight, Dean.”

He disconnected the call and got out of bed, heading into his en-suite bathroom.  He warmed some water in the sink and wet down a cloth.  Brushing it over his heated skin, Cas cleaned himself up, vowing to take a shower in the morning before work.  Dean was right, that had been exhausting.

Cas climbed back into his bed, fluffing his pillows and flicking off his lamps.  He rolled over on his side and picked up his phone.  He opened Dean’s messages and saved the picture.  Even though he knew he would regret it in the morning, Cas lay awake in the dark for a long time staring at that photo.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW Sabriel

“I really shouldn’t let you come inside,” Gabriel teased Sam as they pulled into his driveway.  “Isn’t there some etiquette crap that says you shouldn’t fuck on the first date?”

“I doubt you care about that,” Sam said.

“You’re right, I don’t,” Gabriel confirmed.  “I just don’t want to ruin the reputation of such a perfect man as yourself.”

Sam barked out a laugh as he turned off the car.  “So,” he said.  “Ball’s in your court, Novak.”

“Come in with me,” Gabe said quickly.

“Don’t mind if I do,” Sam smiled.

They exited the Impala and climbed the steps to Gabriel’s front door.  The shorter man pressed a button that looked like a doorbell and a little keypad slid out from a box mounted onto the house.  Gabe pressed his index finger to a small green button and held it for a few seconds.  There was the click of a lock and Gabe swung the front door open.  “You have a fingerprint scanner instead of keys?” Sam asked incredulously.

“I’m eccentric,” Gabe said.  “Come in.  Mi casa is su casa and all that.”

The foyer was done in a grayish colored marble and there was a double staircase that went up to the second floor.  A giant, crystal chandelier twinkled down at them, the lights slightly dimmed.  “Damn,” Sam said, looking everywhere.  “You said rich and you weren’t kidding.”

“Kitchen’s through there,” Gabe pointed under the staircase toward the darkened portion of the house.  “Library, study, cigar room, music room are all down here.  Theatre’s in the basement, pool is out back.  But you don’t really care about any of that do you, Sam?”  Gabriel turned and placed one foot on the wide steps of the right staircase.

“Huh?” Sam said overwhelmed.

Gabe smirked.  “I’m pretty sure you’re only interested in the tour of my bedroom right now?”

Sam’s face broke out into a huge grin.  “I’d love the tour of that particular room.”

“Follow me,” Gabe started up the stairs with Sam close behind. 

There were large, framed paintings all the way up the stairs and Sam was pretty sure he recognized some from his freshman year art history course.  Jesus.  He knew that ‘Sweets for the Sweet’ was popular but this kind of money was way beyond what Sam could even begin to comprehend.  He stopped in front of a tiny frame on the landing and actually shouted.

“This is an original DaVinci sketch!”

“Yeah,” Gabe turned back and admired it with him.  “You should see Cassie’s collection though, it’s probably more your style.”

“What?” Sam looked down at him.

“He’s a librarian, right?” Gabe said.  “He collects first editions.  Has a whole room in his house that’s basically floor to ceiling shelves for all his precious books.  You’d like it.”

“Cas is rich too?” Sam’s mind was now officially blown.

“Not as much as me,” Gabriel admitted.  “But I made him a shareholder when we started to really take off.  He technically sits on the board of the company too.  But he’s insane, and likes working, so he’s a freaking librarian.  He’s probably worth around, I don’t know,” Gabe paused, doing the math in his head.  “Forty or fifty million?  That sounds right, I think.”

“Holy shit,” Sam shouted.  “Do you think Dean knows?”

“Ha,” Gabe snorted.  “No.  And I doubt he will.  Castiel doesn’t like to advertise.  His house is about the size of my garage and he pretty much only spends money on his books.  I would have a coronary if he actually admitted anything to Dean—so keep your mouth shut.”

Sam crossed his heart with his fingers and they continued on their way.  Gabriel’s room was at the end of a long hallway.  Sam stopped to admire different pieces of artwork as they moved along—lots of signed movie posters that were from classic, Oscar-winning films.

Gabriel flung open the last door, to reveal a large bedroom with a king-sized bed situated along the back wall.  There was recessed lighting in the ceiling giving off a dim, somewhat romantic glow.  A large marble carved fireplace sat along the opposite wall.  Gabe flicked a switch near it and the flames crackled to life.  He also picked up a small remote from the mantle and soon the room was filled with ‘Baby Got Back.’

“Really?” Sam laughed.

“Too heterosexual?  Yeah, you’re right,” Gabe agreed.  He poked at a few buttons and the music changed to a soft jazz.

“You’re smooth,” Sam commented.  He began to actually look around the room and the thing that stood out the most to him was the fact that it was incredibly bright.  The colors on the wall were a sunny yellow.  The comforter on the bed looked squashy and was made of some sort of purple velvet.  Black silk sheets peeked out from underneath.  It was quirky and fun and totally suited the smaller man.  “It’s very…you,” Sam laughed.

Gabriel walked toward him slowly, smirking.  “I’m going to take that as a good thing.”

“You should.” Sam smiled down at him.  “I like you.”

“Excellent,” Gabe said, pressing his palm to Sam’s firm chest.  “Let’s fuck.”

Sam leaned down, wrapping his arms around Gabriel’s shoulders, kissing him on the mouth.  Gabe pressed deeply into the touch and slid his shoe in between Sam’s leg, rubbing his ankle.  Their tongues met and Sam found that he _really_ enjoyed the height difference between them.  Gabriel came just up to his shoulder, and although Sam was towering over him, he felt incredibly safe in this man’s embrace.  He felt like he could wrap Gabe up in his arms and keep him.  They kissed heatedly for a few moments before Sam pulled away and looked into Gabriel’s amber colored eyes.  “How do you want to do this?”

Gabe ran his hands up Sam’s back, under his shirt.  “What would make you the most comfortable?  I know this is kind of new for you.”

Sam licked his lips and contemplated.  “I’d probably be more comfortable _doing_ the fucking.  If that’s okay.  At least tonight.”

“I’m down for that,” Gabe said easily.  “I’m what they call a Switch, so I’m happy anywhere.  We can go slow tonight, do what you feel like.  Maybe after we keep this up for a little while, you’ll be open to try some new things?”

“Maybe,” Sam wasn’t sure he wanted to definitely commit to bottoming.  But he wasn’t going to close the door on it either.

Gabe pressed his palm to Sam’s pectorals and pushed him lightly back toward the bed.  Sam let the smaller man guide him as he sat down on the edge and Gabe slipped in between his thighs.  “Anything you don’t like, you have to tell me.  I’m not a fucking mind reader and I want you to enjoy this.”

“I trust you.”  And Sam found that he really meant it.

Kissing him softly, Gabriel began to slowly unbutton Sam’s collared shirt.  He allowed himself to be completely taken over by the sensations as Gabe slid the garment off of his broad shoulders.  Sam reached down eagerly, grabbing his white undershirt, pulling away from Gabe’s addictive kisses and yanking the shirt off over his head.  He tossed it on the floor, uncaringly.

Their lips met again, softly and sweet, before Gabe just went for it and pressed his tongue into Sam’s mouth.  Gasping slightly, Sam slid his hands up, running them through Gabe’s blonde-ish hair.  Their kisses started to come faster and Sam let his hands wander over Gabriel’s body, pulling at the smaller man’s clothes.  “Eager?” Gabe laughed.

He stepped away for a moment and began to undress, allowing Sam to drink him in with his eyes.  He took the most time kicking off his dress shoes, and after that, the rest of his clothes piled up quickly, leaving Gabriel completely nude in front of Sam.  Licking his lips at the sight of Gabe’s hard prick, Sam reached his hand out, beckoning his lover to come closer.  “Uh uh,” Gabe shook his head.  “You have too many clothes on Samshine.”

Suddenly, a little self-conscious, realizing he was about to be naked with another man for the first time, Sam whispered, “Will you help me?”

“Wow,” Gabe breathed.  “That’s an excellent idea.”  He stepped forward and placed his hands on Sam’s belt.  “You good?”

Sam nodded and looked down, watching as Gabe’s fingers unbuckled the clasp and went straight for the buttons and zipper.  Touching Sam’s sides, Gabe slid his palms down, and hooked Sam’s pants, inching them down his hips.  His hands reached the top of the bed and Gabe said, “Lift up your hips.”  Sam obliged and then the pants were history.  “Let’s try something,” Gabe suggested, stepping away again.

“What?” Sam asked nervously.

“Nothing too scary,” Gabe smiled.  “Stand up with me.”  Sam pushed himself off of the bed and stood, towering over Gabriel.  “God, you’re fucking tall,” Gabe commented.  “It’s really fucking sexy.”

“Yeah?” Sam asked.  Even when he’d been with women, most had complained about having to get on their toes to kiss him.  He was pretty sure he had a fucking complex about being a freaking giant.

“Oh yeah,” Gabe nodded appreciatively.  “Okay, here’s what you’re gonna do,” he smiled.  “Just…take off your underwear.  I want to watch.”

Sam gulped.  That was easy enough.  He hooked his fingers in the elastic band of his boxers and bit his lip.  Here goes nothing—in about two seconds he was going to show his dick to another dude.  Fuck, he hoped Gabe didn’t think he had a weird looking penis.  That would be horrible.  Without allowing himself to dwell, Sam yanked his underwear down and stepped out of it, standing up again in one quick movement.

He looked up to see Gabriel flat out staring at his dick.  “Damn, they grow ‘em big in the Midwest,” Gabe looked ecstatic.  “Come here.”  He held out his hand and Sam stepped to him.  “We’re just going to kiss right now,” Gabe promised. 

True to his word, he lifted up on his toes and kissed Sam sweetly.  Their groins weren’t touching, but Sam realized that he wanted to be so much closer.  He really wanted to feel another cock sliding against his own.  Before he could second guess himself, Sam closed the space between them, pulling Gabriel against his chest and grinding his hips down just a little.  They both gasped into each other’s mouth at the friction and Sam felt himself grow incredibly hard.

They ground together, their hands moving over hard planes of muscles and Sam felt Gabriel twitch against him.  Moving as one, they fell backwards on the bed and Gabe scrambled over the top of Sam, straddling his legs on either side of Sam’s hips.  Sam raked his fingers through Gabe’s hair, pulling him down even closer as their lips met in a frenzied joining.  “How you doing, kiddo?” Gabriel asked.

“I’m great,” Sam replied.  “I just, you know,” Sam said.  “I kind of want _more_.”

“Okay then,” Gabriel peeled himself off of Sam and crawled over to the top of the bed.  He pulled open the drawer of the bedside table and came back with a large bottle of lube and a string of condoms in his hands.  “Still good?”  Sam nodded quickly.  “I’m going to prepare myself, since you’re basically a virgin.  You can watch.  It’s fun.”

Sam’s mouth gaped open and he sat up and twisted so that he could get a better view as Gabe lay back into the pillows, his knees up and his legs spread wide.  The shorter man squeezed some lubrication onto his fingers and ran them down in between the cheeks of his ass.  Sam could feel his mouth moving but he wasn’t really making any noise.  Gabe poked at himself for a moment before Sam saw a single finger slide into his tight, pink hole.  “Fuck,” Sam whispered reverently.

“That’s your job,” Gabe winked.  He felt around with his free hand and found a condom that he tossed at Sam.  “Get yourself suited up,” Gabe said.  “I never bareback, so condoms are a must.  And I sort of prepped earlier, so I won’t be too long.  I was kind of counting on you being a sure thing.”

“Okay,” Sam’s fingers were a little sweaty and shaking as he tore open the condom packet.  He took a deep breath and saw that Gabe now had two fingers inside himself, working them pretty quickly.  Sam peeled the condom down over his shaft and looked back up.  Gabe’s mouth was open and he was panting a little as he placed a third slick finger into his own ass.

“Told you it was fun,” Gabe said.

“That is…insanely hot,” Sam commented.

“Feels good too,” Gabriel informed him.  “Okay lover,” Gabriel slid his fingers out and grabbed a Kleenex from the box next to the bed to wipe his fingers off.  “Go to town on me, big boy.”

“Seriously?” Sam moved over toward Gabe on his knees, sinking into the soft blankets.

“Yeah,” Gabe laughed.  “I want to be fucked and fucked _good_.  Keep in mind, I _will_ be judging you,” he joked.

Sam placed a hand on Gabriel’s knee and scooted in between the other man’s open legs.  He took ahold of his swollen cock with the other palm and pressed it up to Gabe’s body.  Just knowing that his dick was touching a guy’s asshole almost made him come.  Sam shook his head and huffed.  “Okay,” he said.

“You’re going to be great,” Gabriel said to him.

Sam gave him a half smile and pressed his hips forward.  Gabriel’s body immediately opened for him, accepting the head of his cock.  “Oh fuck,” Sam kept moving.  He honestly couldn’t stop.  Gabe was so fucking warm and tight around him, just pulling him in.  Sam twitched his hips, sinking in another inch and Gabe actually yelled.  “Shit, are you okay?” Sam forced himself to still.

“I’m great,” Gabe said.  “That just feels really good.  Give it to me, Sammy.”

He pressed his hips forward again, and slid in a little more.  He could feel Gabe parting for him and Sam did everything in his power to not just shove forward as fast as he could.  He had never felt this amazing before.  As he felt his skin meet Gabriel’s thighs, Sam knew that yeah—he was super into guys.  Honestly, he wasn’t sure he could go back to women after feeling something this incredible.

Sam bottomed out, fully encased in Gabriel’s tight warmth.  He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the side of Gabe’s mouth and was rewarded with the smaller man throwing his arms around Sam’s neck.  Bucking his hips gently, Sam began to pull out.  Gabe’s muscles held him firmly, as if they didn’t want him to go.  Sam only made it about halfway before he slammed back in, jolting Gabriel upwards.

“Sorry,” Sam shouted into Gabe’s kiss.

“Don’t be,” Gabe reassured him.  “Do it again.”

He didn’t need to be told twice.  Sam began to move in earnest, the friction overwhelming as he slid over Gabriel’s prostate.  The man beneath him keened and shoved his own hips up, fucking himself back onto Sam.  Holy fuck, that felt amazing!  Gabe leaned up, capturing Sam’s mouth, their teeth clashing as Sam pistoned hard into Gabriel’s ass.  “This is so not your first time,” Gabe said in between kisses.

Sam slowed somewhat and pulled back to look at his lover, still moving inside of him.  “Yes it is.”

“I mean,” Gabe gasped as a particularly hard thrust.  “You’re hitting my prostate almost every time.  That takes skill, kiddo.”  Gabriel gave a loud shout and clenched his ass muscles around Sam which made the younger Winchester almost go cross-eyed.  “I’m definitely keeping you.”  Gabe kissed him hard once more.

Picking up the pace again, Sam thrust hard, enjoying the sounds that Gabriel was making under him.  He could feel his orgasm building in his groin and knew that he was close.  “Gabe,” he panted.  “I’m going to—“

“Yeah, me too,” Gabriel replied, pushing up onto Sam once more. 

Sam looked down and saw Gabe stroking his thick cock, the end weeping with pre-cum.  For a moment, Sam wondered what that monster would feel like inside of him—and it was all over.  Just the idea of Gabriel fucking him had Sam spilling into the condom and freezing above his lover.  Gabe yanked on his dick twice more before shooting thick, white semen over his abs and squeezing down again.

Bracing his arms on either side of Gabriel’s head, Sam watched as Gabe came down from his climax.  He could feel himself going soft inside of the other man but he didn’t want to pull out.  He kind of wanted to just stay stuffed up inside of this incredibly hot guy forever.  Groaning, Sam finally moved, sliding out and moving back onto his knees.  The condom was full and uncomfortable now, but he took a moment to watch Gabe’s hole spazming around nothing.  That was hot.  Holy fuck, that was hot, Sam thought.

Gabe let out a whistle and wiped the back of his hand over his brow.  “Damn,” he said looking into Sam’s eyes.  “That was intense.”

“It’s not always like that?” Sam wondered.

“Not really,” Gabriel said.  “I mean, it’s sex, it’s awesome.  But that was an entirely new level.”  Gabe pushed himself up slowly, wincing and Sam was worried that he’d hurt the smaller guy.  Noticing his expression, Gabriel waved him off.  “I’m good.”  He crawled forward and kissed Sam’s forehead.  “Let’s clean up and go to bed.”

“It’s kind of late,” Sam pointed out as he followed Gabriel into a bathroom that was bigger than his apartment.  Sam pulled off the full condom and tied it off, motioning with it to Gabe.  His lover pointed to a small garbage can in the corner and Sam tossed the used prophylactic away.

“It is,” Gabriel agreed, fishing out some washcloths and wetting them.  “That’s kind of why I thought you’d stay the night.”  He turned and handed Sam a damp cloth.  They washed their skin off in silence.  Gabriel took the now dirty cloth from Sam and met the younger man’s eyes.  “I don’t usually invite people to stay,” he admitted.  “But I would really like it if you did.”

Sam’s heartbeat sped up.  He tried not to smile too hard and give away his feelings, but he couldn’t help himself.  “I’d love to stay.”

“I’m the big spoon,” Gabe said as he sauntered back into the room.

They curled up under the covers, the silk of the sheets sliding over their skin like water.  Gabe used the remote to silence the music and turn off the fire and the room was bathed in darkness.  Sam curled up on his side facing a large window.  Gabriel moved behind him and slung his arm over Sam’s waist pulling him in tight.  A soft kiss was placed on the back of Sam’s neck and he melted into it.  “Night, Sam.”

“Goodnight,” Sam whispered.  He lay awake for a long time, looking at the stars and reveling in the feeling of strong muscles holding him tightly.  He could definitely get used to this.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean gets some advice.  
> Cas plans a date.

Phone sex had never drained him so much in the past.  Dean woke up, his eyes blurred.  He blinked toward his window where the sun was crashing in and hitting him in the face.  He was tangled up in damp sheets, naked, and his stomach was growling.  Forcing himself to slide to the edge of the bed and sit up, he glanced down at the floor and saw his soiled, cum-covered briefs crumpled in a ball where he’d thrown them before falling asleep.

Dean snagged them with one finger and pushed himself up, walking toward the door and tossing the dirty undergarments into his laundry basket like he was making a free-throw.  “He shoots, he scores!” Dean shouted into the empty space.  He felt a little like he was hungover, but he didn’t have a headache or the usual nausea.  Jerking off with Cas obviously tired him out.  It was almost nine in the morning, and Dean didn’t usually sleep very late.

He finished in the bathroom and threw on some clean clothes, padding into the kitchen.  Just as he was laying down slices of thick bacon into a heated skillet, the front door banged open and Sam came slinking in.  “Did you go running early this morning?” Dean asked suspiciously.  Sam wasn’t wearing work-out gear—he was wearing _exactly_ what he’d had on last night.

“Um,” Sam froze in place.  “No, not really.”  He finally turned and shut the door, moving into the kitchen.  “I’m sort of just getting home.”

“You were out all night?” Dean said, impressed.  His brother usually wasn’t one to give it up on the first date.  “Wow.  Walk of Shame for Sammy—congrats!  One little meal and you’re spending the night with the Mayor of Munchkin Land?”

“Don’t make fun of him,” Sam snapped peevishly.

Dean held up his hands.  “Sorry.  Didn’t mean to insult my future brother-in-law,” he said jokingly.  Sam glowered at him.  “Coffee?” Dean poured a fresh mug and held it out to Sam.  “So?”

“What?”

“How did it go?” Dean flipped the slices of bacon and turned away from his brother.  He wanted to be more blatant, but he didn’t want to spook Sam.  He really wanted his brother to tell him all about what it was like to finally be with a dude.  He also wanted that information in as little detail as possible.

“Good,” Sam said.  “We really clicked.”

“I’ll bet.”

“Dinner was great, you’d like the food.  The steak was amazing.”  Sam blathered on for a while about what they had eaten and mentioned a few topics of casual conversation.  Dean tuned him out and set about making a plate.

He sat down at the kitchen table, opposite his brother and set his breakfast down a little harder than he intended.  “Come on, Sam,” he interrupted Sam’s monologue about a movie that he and Gabe were planning on going to see.  “Level with me.”

“About what?” Sam drank some of his coffee and looked innocently at Dean.

“You know about what,” Dean pressed.  He was going to have to actually come out and say it.  “What was it like?”

“I’m not talking about this with you,” Sam lifted his chin.

“I don’t want _details_ , Bitch,” Dean said.  “That’s disgusting.  Thinking about you like…that.  No, just no.  Come on though, tell me.  Was it…you know…good?”

Sam got a sickly, dreamy smile on his face and just said, “It was worth the wait.”

Dean sat back in his chair and stared at Sam for a full minute before he leaned in and stabbed some eggs with his fork.  He chewed thoughtfully, but didn’t comment.  After a while, Sam got up and washed out his mug, saying he had to shower and get to the library for a study group.  He was still sitting at the table with a cooling breakfast when Sam grabbed his bag and left for the day.

Cleaning his dishes on autopilot, Dean’s mind was buzzing.  He’d looked up some stuff online but most of it devolved into pop-up ads for porn sites, and Dean didn’t want a virus on his laptop.  He doubted that there were instructional books at the library—plus, he didn’t want to run into Cas there.  Dean shuffled around the empty apartment for a while, debating if he should put on a movie or go for a drive, when it hit him—the bar.  Surely there was someone there who could maybe give him a little advice over a beer or two.

He made a pit-stop in the bathroom to brush his teeth again and check his appearance in the mirror before heading out and getting into his car.  He checked everything over to make sure Sam hadn’t messed with his baby before he started her up.  Soon enough, he was parking and walking up to the doors of The Pan-ty Dropper.

The bouncer out front wasn’t Benny, so Dean just flashed his ID and walked inside with no small talk.  There were a few people seated at empty tables and the music was lower than usual.  He saw a long table set up near the back that was laden with the makings for some pretty bad-ass Bloody Mary’s.  A kid who looked to be about twelve walked up to him and said, “Welcome to Brunch at The Pan-ty Dropper, how many in your party?”

Shit.  Dean forgot that Gabe had mentioned this place had Sunday brunch.  He didn’t want to be at brunch alone—that was just pathetic.  “Uh, I’ll just sit at the bar,” he said vaguely.

The kid smiled brightly.  “Great!  I’m Alfie and I’m serving today.  Just me—so if you need anything, holler, okay?  The Bloody Mary and Mimosa bar is along the back wall and it’s fifteen dollars for bottomless until two pm.”

“Awesome,” Dean grimaced and walked to the empty bar.

He sat down and looked at the room around him.  Everyone was here with someone else, and he wasn’t about to ruin someone’s morning by popping up at their table and asking for sex pointers.  He threw a twenty on the counter-top and wandered over to the drink table.  Not really feeling like tomatoes, he grabbed a glass and nosed around the mimosa fixings.  Champagne and a juice—couldn’t be too complex.  He settled on a mango-pineapple mixer and poured himself a rather large serving.

Just as he was sitting down, a lilting accent came from over his shoulder.  “You seem more comfortable with my nighttime crowd.”

Dean looked up and saw a tall, slender, but muscular blonde with twinkling eyes.  “Hey?”

The guy held out his hand and the touch was firm.  “Balthazar,” he introduced himself.  “I own the place.  We met a week or so ago, but I doubt you remember—you’d had quite a few of Meg’s concoctions.”

Nodding, Dean squinted and realized that he sort of recognized the guy.  “Nice to meet you again.  Great place.”

Balthazar plopped down on the stool next to him with a large Bloody Mary in his hands.  “It has its perks.”  He took a drink and smiled.  “Where’s your giant brother?  Does Gabriel have him tied up somewhere?”

Dean snorted.  “Not a visual I need.”  He sipped his drink and it was surprisingly good.  All those years of straight whiskey had apparently been hiding the fact that Dean enjoyed sweet cocktails—a lot.  “Hey,” he said, turning in his seat to face the owner.  “You’re gay, right?”

“I’m Pan,” Balthazar didn’t even bat an eye.  “Why do you ask?”

“This is all sort of new for me…” Dean trailed off.

“You don’t say,” Balthazar looked at him a little coldly.  “Look, darling,” he said.  “You’re incredibly attractive—delicious even—but Castiel is my friend and I don’t like leftovers.”

“What?” Dean blinked.

“Cas?  He’s after you, isn’t he?”  Balthazar shrugged.  “He doesn’t usually pursue anyone, but he’s made it quite obvious with you.”

“Yeah.  I mean, no,” Dean stammered.  “I mean, yeah, we’re kind of…you know.  Fuck.  I don’t know what we are, but we’re something.”

“As I said,” Balthazar fixed him with a look.  “I don’t poach.”

Realization dawned in Dean’s eyes.  “I’m not hitting on you!”

“You’re not?” Balthazar smiled, crinkling the skin around his eyes.  “That’s good to know.  I’d hate for my friend to go after a cheater.”

“I’m not,” Dean was firm.  “Look, here’s the thing.  I’m new at this and Cas doesn’t really want to do anything physical with me unless I’m really certain.”

Nodding, the bar owner said, “That makes a lot of sense.  I would be reluctant as well.  You may be toying with him and honestly,” he sighed.  “That would break Cassie.  He isn’t very good with emotions.”

“Join the club,” Dean muttered.  “I was just wondering if you could, I don’t know, help me a little?”

“With what?” Balthazar’s curiosity seemed piqued.

“I can’t talk about this with my brother, because—gross,” Dean started. “And the internet is more porn than self-help so far.  I could just use a crash course on what I’m signing up for.  That’s all.”

“Oh, you sweet, sweet boy,” Balthazar chuckled.  “Fine,” he said finally.  “This is rather amusing and I’d love to help Cas get what he wants.  Just consider me the Professor Higgens of Homosexuality.  What would you like to know?”

Dean breathed.  This wasn’t that hard after all.  “Okay, so, um—Cas kind of mentioned that he would, you know?”

“Be fucking you?”

“Yeah,” Dean dribbled some of his drink back into the glass.  “I mean, like, does it…hurt?”

Tilting his head, Balthazar contemplated for a moment.  “It can, yes.  But that’s usually because you have an inexperienced and uncaring partner.  Cas wouldn’t want to hurt you.  If you speak up and tell him—he’ll stop.  Either if you’re uncomfortable, or in pain.  You have to communicate and something tells me that isn’t your forte.”

“Not really,” Dean admitted.

“Well, get over it,” Balthazar said bluntly.  “I’m not going to run you off with a little information, am I?”  Dean shook his head.  “Good.  Castiel—when he is actually dating someone—sometimes likes to shake things up.  Maybe a little pleasure with your pain, if you get my drift.  And that kind of thing requires trust.”  Dean’s eyes widened a fraction.  “Oh no, darling,” Balthazar laughed.  “He’s not going to hog-tie you and beat you with a paddle your first time.  In fact, he won’t even bring it up unless you are exclusive and have been together for a while at least.  Don’t panic,” he laughed.

Dean drank down the rest of his tropical mimosa.  “What if that sounds…kind of…good?”

The bar owner quirked an eyebrow at him.  “Then, you, my friend, are in for a very interesting time in the months ahead.”

They spoke for almost an hour, occasionally refreshing their drinks before Dean shook Balthazar’s hand once more, thanking him profusely.  He had most of his questions answered—the ones he felt comfortable talking about, at least.  The Englishman had been forthcoming and didn’t seem to mind Dean’s prying queries in the least.  Armed with his newfound information, Dean headed out of the bar and went home.

* * *

By Tuesday morning, the wind had begun to whip up, scattering newly fallen leaves across the roads and lawns of Sioux Falls.  Autumn was finally here and Castiel was happy about it.  Fall was his favorite season—he found summer too hot and winter much too depressing.  He also hated driving in the snow, which Gabriel found endlessly amusing since they lived so far north.

For the past few years, Gabriel had bothered Cas about relocating to South Beach or Beverly Hills for sun and sand; but Cas loved his job at the library, despite the occasional blizzard.  Now, he was increasingly glad that he had Gabe had settled here.  He would have never met Dean in Florida.  He also knew, despite his brother’s rather flamboyant nature, that Gabriel would have bored of the flashier cities quickly.  Deep down, they both enjoyed the slower pace of South Dakota.

Castiel had been wracking his brain for the past two days to figure out where he should take Dean for their first date.  He wanted it to be casual, yet fun—something he wasn’t very attune to.  He and Dean had spoken on the phone each night, getting increasingly lewd, and exchanging texts during working hours.  Cas felt a little guilty having his phone on him at work, but he couldn’t bear to leave it in his office, just in case Dean messaged him.  He knew it was poor work ethic, but he couldn’t bring himself to actually care.

Tuesday morning around ten, an idea finally came to him.  A young woman and a toddler approached the library desk with a thin, hardback book devoted to elaborate pumpkin carvings.  He had been covering while Hael took her morning coffee break and smiled at the pair as they greeted him.  After checking them out and waving goodbye to the small child, Cas pulled up a search engine on his phone.  It wasn’t long before he found what he was looking for.  Castiel smiled in anticipation.

“You’re weirdly happy lately,” Hael came up silently behind him.

He turned toward his friend and co-worker.  “I’m sorry.”

She laughed.  “Don’t be.  It’s really nice to see.  Why the secret smiles?”

Not wanting to air his personal life too much at work, Cas briefly told her that he was seeing someone and had a date that evening.  She squeaked a little and flashed her teeth.  “It’s about time!  How long have you been dating him?”

“This will be our first date.  But I met him almost two weeks ago.”

“Wow, restraint!  That’s admirable,” she joked.  “Okay, go back and hide in your office.  I’ve got it handled out here.”

He nodded and wandered off, closing his office door and staring at the clock.  The hours ticked by and around the time he was getting ready to leave, Cas realized that he hadn’t really done anything all day.  Pulling on his favorite trench coat, he rubbed his hands together, feeling how clammy his palms were.  He was actually nervous and the feeling was foreign to him.

Changing quickly at home, Cas piled into his giant automobile and wound through town toward the address he had been given earlier.  Sam and Dean had taken up residence in a modest apartment building that was a little worse for wear at first glance.  Castiel frowned as he stepped out of his car and looked up at the squat, two-story brick building.  The grass was hard-scrabble and mostly brown.  There were no nearby trees and only a few small, dying bushes around the entrance to the building.  He didn’t like it, and he fervently hoped that Sam never showed the place to Gabriel.  His brother would have their possessions moved out and into one of the new-construction townhouses within the hour if he saw where the boys were living.

He climbed the cement steps to the second floor and located apartment fifteen on a door.  The gold-painted numbers were slightly tarnished and the five was tilted at an angle.  Cas licked his lips and knocked firmly.  The door immediately swung open to reveal Sam looming in the doorway.  “Hey, Cas!  Come on in!”

“Hello,” Cas stepped through the door.  Some of the walls were cracked and had peeling paint, but everything was incredibly clean and well-cared for.

“Dean’s almost ready.  He got a last minute fix on—well, I’m not sure what—but he was a little late getting home.  He got out of the shower a couple minutes ago.”  Sam walked to the fridge and pulled out a brown bottle of beer.  “You thirsty?”

“No thank you,” Cas smiled.  “I’m fine for now.”  He looked around the room once more before finding Sam watching him intently.  “How are your classes going?”

“Great,” Sam said brightly.  “Except for Statistics, which is just a pain in the ass.”

“Have you picked a major yet?”

Sam shook his head.  “No.  I wanted to go to law school when I was a kid, but I’m not sure that’s really in the cards right now.  I’d kind of like to do something to help people though.  Social work or a non-profit for animals or something.  Right now I’m just fulfilling my general credits.”  He paused for a moment. “I know it’s weird, me being twenty-four, and still basically a college freshman.  We didn’t have much money for school so I started late.  I wasn’t going to go at all, but Dean sort of insisted.”

The man himself, stepped out of the hall at that moment and grinned at them, his eyes raking over Cas.  “Hi,” he said deeply.

“Hello, Dean.”

“You ready to head out?”

Castiel nodded.  He pointed to Dean’s chest and said, “We’ll be outside for a while and the temperature is dropping.  You’ll want a coat.”

Dean grabbed a worn, brown leather jacket off of a chair-back and shrugged into it.  “Don’t wait up, Sammy,” he winked at his brother as they left.

They walked silently to Cas’ car and Dean let out a whistle as he came up alongside it.  “Damn, this is a _beast_!”

“I like it,” Cas said simply.

“So,” Dean asked once they were buckled in.  “Where are we going?”

Cas fiddled with the temperamental heater.  “Somewhere casual and, I hope, fun.”

“I like casual and fun,” Dean smiled, settling into the car.  They pulled out onto the main road and Dean asked, “How was your day?”

“Long,” Cas sighed.  “I kept thinking about you.”

Dean chuckled.  “I had the same problem.”

They drove through a few more streets before Castiel pulled into a dimly lit parking lot next to a ramshackle wooden building.  “I thought we could have dinner first,” he explained.

“I think this building was abandoned when Sammy and I lived here last,” Dean commented as they got out of the car.  “Doesn’t really look like your kind of place.”

“Normally, no,” Cas smiled at him.  “But I stumbled across it a year or so ago and their burgers are beyond reproach.”

“Awesome!” Dean’s smiled brightened in anticipation of his favorite food that wasn’t pie.

They entered the creaking door, which was situated under a large hand-painted sign reading ‘The Roadhouse.’  A young blonde woman walked up to them and greeted the two men.  She took them to a scarred wooden table that rocked as they sat down, setting a menu in front of each.  Dean’s mouth fell open when he saw that almost the entire menu consisted of burger options.  It was like heaven on earth.

When it was time to order, the blonde came back with their drinks and jotted their requests down in a notebook.  Dean went with the Double Bacon Cheeseburger that promised a fried egg along with spicy mayo; Cas asked for some sort of mushroom selection with extra cheese.  “It’s better than it sounds,” he promised at Dean’s wrinkled nose.  “There is a large, grilled portabella mushroom on top of the beef.  It’s almost like two patties in one.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Dean wrinkled his nose.

The meal went by quickly and Castiel found himself shifting uncomfortably in his seat when Dean let out an obscene moan around his first bite of food.  They ate, stealing things off of each other’s plates, since Cas had ordered fries and Dean went for onion rings.  Both side dishes were piping hot fried goodness.  When the bill came, both men reached for it and Dean put up a fight to pay.  Cas refused and yanked the folder out of his hand telling Dean he could do the honors next time.

Climbing back in the car, Dean said, “You said we would be outside, but so far we haven’t.”

“We will be,” Cas edged his car out into traffic.  “Patience.”

They kept up their conversation from dinner, mostly talking about hobbies and general information.  Dean kept looking out of the window and pointing to places asking if they were there yet.  Leaving the lights of the city behind them, Cas eventually turned down a narrow road into the trees.  “You’re not going to kill me and bury me in the woods, are you Cas?” Dean joked.

“Of course not,” Castiel frowned.

He pulled up next to a large red barn surrounded by lit paper lanterns and parked.  They got out, locking up the car and met in front of it.  Cas reached for Dean’s hand and curled his fingers around the other man’s palm.  It felt cozy and Cas smiled at the jolt he felt as they touched.  “So, where are we?” Dean asked, his breath visible in the dim lights.

Cas only smiled and pulled him toward a small group of people standing nearby.  They waited, holding hands until they reached a small table decorated with tiny painted pumpkins.  Cas smiled at the blonde girl who was waiting there and handed her some cash.  He turned when he felt Dean slip his hand out of his own.  He squinted in confusion and saw that Dean’s face was bright red.  “Hey Claire,” Dean said.

“What’s up dork?” the girl responded.

“What are you doing here?” Dean’s voice was nervous.

Claire shrugged and gestured around her.  “Gotta pay the bills.”  Dean just stared at her.  “I work here after school and on weekends.  Jody’s great with providing things, but I’m not going to ask her to spot me money for shit that’s not a necessity.”

“Right,” Dean said.  He turned to Cas, his eyes unreadable.  “Cas, this is Claire.  One of Jody’s girls.”

Cas nodded in realization.  Dean still hadn’t told his family about them.  He didn’t realize that it would hurt so much.  He felt a sharp pain in his gut.  “It’s wonderful to meet you Claire,” he managed.

“And you are Dean’s…friend?” She raised an eyebrow at Dean.

“Yup,” Dean said quickly.  “Cas is my friend.  Good friend.”

“Right,” she chuckled.  “Remember what I told you,” she said ominously.  “Don’t be a douche because you have stunted feelings.”  She turned to Cas looking a little sympathetic.  “How many do you guys want?”

“Two please,” Cas requested.  Claire gave him change and waved them off to take the next person in line.

Dean’s mouth was set in a thin line and Cas felt terrible that he’d brought them here.  How was he supposed to know that they would run into someone that Dean knew?  How was he supposed to feel at being introduced as a friend?  Cas wanted to hold Dean’s hand again, but he didn’t.  He didn’t want to make the other man even more uncomfortable.  “What is this place?” Dean asked finally.

“It’s a pumpkin patch,” Cas sighed.  “I thought it might be fun to select one and then carve them at my home.”

Dean let out a small laugh and managed to smile.  “That’s actually…really adorable, Cas,” he said.  “You’re right, it does sound fun.”

Cas relaxed as they moved toward the large area covered with hundreds of pumpkins in different shapes and sizes.  The further they moved from Claire, the more Dean seemed to enjoy things.  He started to hold up giant gourds and make faces at Castiel as he showed them off.  Cas would laugh and shake his head, prompting them to move on.

“Oh, Dean,” Cas stopped and pointed.  “That one is perfect.”

They both looked down at a large, lopsided pumpkin sitting off to the side.  It probably weighed thirty pounds and looked slightly dented, but Castiel didn’t care.  He liked it.  A lot.  “Okay, he’s coming with us,” Dean bent down and picked up the giant pumpkin, giving Cas a chance to admire his ass.  “My turn,” Dean announced, scanning the area around them.

Soon enough, he gestured toward a medium sized, perfectly round specimen and raised his brow at Cas.  “You think that one is okay?”

“It’s good,” Cas nodded.  This time, he picked up Dean’s selection and they moved away, winding through the pumpkins back toward the car.

Dean waved at Claire as they left and she mouthed something to the older Winchester that Castiel couldn’t figure out.  Whatever it was, it made Dean flush.  They loaded up the pumpkins and started back toward town.  Just as they began to see street lights again, Dean shifted in his seat.  “Hey, I’m sorry,” he said.

“For what?” Cas’ eyes didn’t leave the road.

“For how I reacted when we saw Claire,” Dean stated.  “It was rude, and not fair to you.  I’m really sorry.  I should have just told her.  I mean, hell,” he snorted.  “She corned me a while ago at Jody’s and basically said she knew I liked dick and it didn’t matter.  She’d be cool about it.”

“Would Sheriff Mills?” Cas wondered aloud.

“Yeah,” Dean admitted with a sigh.  “She would.  I really don’t know why I’m putting it off.  Maybe I just suck.”

“You don’t suck,” Cas said absently.

“Yes I do,” Dean winked at him.  “At least, I’d like to suck you.”

“Dean,” Cas breathed, feeling his dick jolt in his pants.  “Slow, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Dean said.  “So I guess this really means you’re taking me home to carve pumpkins and that it isn’t a euphemism for hot sex?”

“I really mean carving pumpkins,” Cas said, even though he was mentally yelling at himself to agree to sex.

“All right,” Dean said.  “I can wait.  For you.”  Cas smiled to himself as he pulled into his driveway, watching as Dean looked up at his modest home.  “Nice digs, Cas,” Dean complimented.

“Technically its part of the historical registry, which I like,” Cas told him.  “But it’s also very close to the library, so I can walk on most days.”

They lugged the pumpkins inside and placed them on the counter in the kitchen.  Dean looked around while Cas pulled out newspaper, large bowls and different sized carving knives.  Once they had all the needed supplies, they set to work.  Dean immediately plunged a large knife into his pumpkin and began to saw away at it.  Cas used a marker to draw a face on his so that he would have perfect lines when he was finished.

When Dean started scooping out goo and seeds, he flicked some of the insides at Cas, lodging them in his perpetually messy hair and laughing.  Castiel just shook his head and smiled indulgently at him.  When their creations were completed, Cas handed Dean a small electric candle to place inside of his.  They turned off all the lights and stood together, brushing shoulders as their jack-o-lanterns flickered away.

Cas felt a touch at his pinkie and looked down to see Dean grabbing his hand.  When he glanced up, meeting Dean’s bright eyes, he felt his chest constrict at the look the younger man was giving him.  “Cas,” Dean said softly.

Reaching up to brush his fingers along Castiel’s jawline, Dean leaned forward, placing his lips lightly against Cas’ mouth.  Instinctually, Cas opened his lips and pressed his tongue into Dean, sealing them together.  They moved, turning, pressing their chests to one another as the kiss deepened.  Dean’s breath hitched and Cas captured his mouth once more.  As a second kiss, it was pretty unforgettable.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all night,” Dean said.

“Your restraint is admirable,” Cas smiled.

They kissed again, heated and hard.  Dean’s arms wrapped around Castiel’s waist and pulling him close.  Cas could feel Dean’s hardness pressing into him and he wanted more—so much more.  He pulled away reluctantly and looked into Dean’s lidded eyes.  “I don’t want to wait, Cas,” Dean’s tone was begging.

“I know,” Castiel said.  “But this is for the best right now.  I promise.  I don’t want you to regret me.”

“We could do other things?” Dean wiggled his eyebrows.

“Tempting,” Cas said gruffly.  “But we both work early in the morning.”

“Shit,” Dean huffed.  “Yeah, I should probably get home.”  He moved away and everything in Cas wanted to cry out for him to come back into his arms.  But he stayed silent.

They brought the pumpkins back outside and set them on the porch for the world to see.  Cas drove Dean back to his gloomy apartment, stealing a kiss before Dean wished him goodnight and disappeared.  Castiel made three wrong turns on his way home, all the while wondering, why exactly he was putting off something that he wanted so very much?


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Gabriel go deep.  
> Cas and Dean have some issues.
> 
> *Warning: Mentions of Biphobia; Mentions of past traumatic parental death.

Sam hadn’t meant to text Gabriel on Wednesday night sounding desperate, but he did anyway.  The other man had enthusiastically invited him over, telling him to bring clothes and a toothbrush, which Sam took as an excellent sign.  They hadn’t even made it upstairs, Sam taking Gabe against a wall in the marble front foyer which was definitely being checked off of the younger Winchester’s bucket list.

Two hours later, they were lying in Gabriel’s giant bed on their sides, facing each other.  Gabe was running his hands along Sam’s chest, occasionally pinching his nipples through his clothes, and Sam liked it more than he thought he would.  “Are you close with your parents?” Sam asked out of nowhere.

Gabriel blinked at him owlishly before answering.  “No.”

“Why not?”

Sighing, Gabriel leaned and kissed Sam hard before settling back into his position.  “They’re dead, for one.”

“Shit, Gabe, I’m sorry,” Sam said.  He hadn’t known, obviously.  The tinge of sadness in Gabriel’s eyes hit him hard and he didn’t like how it felt.

“It’s fine,” Gabriel said as casually as possible.

“So it’s just you and Cas?”

“I wish,” Gabe snorted, playing with the hem of Sam’s shirt.  “We have two older brothers who are total dick-bags.  Michael and Luci.”

“You have a brother named Luci?”

“Short for Lucifer,” Gabe chuckled.  “He hates it—said he’d rather have a lady-like name than for people to think he’s actually Satan.  Which is amusing, since he can be a real devil.”

“That was kind of shitty of your parents,” Sam commented.

“We’re all named after angels,” Gabriel told him.  “My father was a professor of Enochian mythology at Stanford.  My mother was a minister’s daughter.  They liked angels.”

Sam brushed his fingers through Gabe’s hair.  “Do your brothers work for your company too?”

“Hell no!” Gabe said strongly.  “Luci is a surgeon out in Denver where he spends his days yelling at interns and picking up women.  Michael works as a lawyer for some shitty ass chocolate company in England.  He took the job just so he could compete with me, I think.  At least he’s out of the country and we don’t have to see him much.  Bastard.”

“Tell me how you really feel,” Sam laughed.

“Sorry,” Gabe said.  “I love Cas.  We’ve always been close.  My other brothers…I sort of try to pretend they don’t exist.”  He thought for a moment.  “Luci isn’t too bad—but he and I are hell on wheels when we get together.”

“Family can be hard,” Sam kissed Gabe in an attempt to cheer him up.

“No shit,” his lover breathed.  “You said your dad was difficult?”  Sam nodded slowly.  “What about your mom?”

Sam bit his lip and closed his eyes for a second, willing himself not to cry.  “She died when I was four.  My dad took us out to the movies, I guess to give her a break from us for a few hours.  On our way home we begged him to get ice cream even though mom was expecting us for dinner.  I guess we bugged him enough that he stopped.  We weren’t at home.”

“What happened?” Gabriel looked concerned.

“Some guy broke in.  I’m not sure what happened because my dad wouldn’t talk about it.  Dean doesn’t either,” Sam said.  “But as he left, he set the house on fire.  I don’t know if she was already dead or if she was alive when…”

“Fuck,” Gabe grabbed him and wrapped his arms around Sam, dragging the larger man to his chest.  He peppered kissed along Sam’s cheeks and mumbled soothingly at him.  “I’m sorry, Sam.”

“That’s why we moved so often,” Sam hiccupped, trying to cover the fact that he had cried a little.  “The guy was never caught, so my dad went looking for him.  All he found was the bottom of a bottle.  Then one day he was gone too.”

“My parents had a car accident.  Nothing dramatic,” Gabe said finally.  “Combination of bad weather and old brakes.  I was nineteen.  The cops said they died on impact, which I’m grateful for.  I petitioned the courts to be Cas’ guardian until he came of age.  By that time, Sweets for the Sweet was really successful so it wasn’t hard to get custody, seeing as I could provide for him.”  Sam looked up into Gabe’s eyes.  “I know it’s shitty,” Gabe continued.  “And if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine.  But I’m always here for you if you do.”

“Thanks Gabe,” Sam said.  “Dean won’t talk about mom.  It’s actually kind of nice to say something about her out loud, even if it hurts.”

“What was her name?”

“Mary,” Sam said reverently.  “Mary Winchester.”

“Beautiful,” Gabe touched his lips.  “I’m sure she’d be very proud of you, Sam.”

“I like to think so.”

They kissed softly, snuggling into each other’s heat as they burrowed under the velvet comforter.  Nothing moved intimately beyond light touches, until they both closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep.  Despite the heaviness of their conversation, both men slept well in each other’s arms.

* * *

Dean was confused.  He had thought, despite his mistake at the pumpkin patch, that their date had gone pretty well.  But it was now Friday morning and he had hardly heard from Cas since he had dropped Dean off at home.  He’d sent a few flirty texts and tried calling the librarian each night but only got Castiel’s voicemail.  It was pissing him off and making him yell at people randomly.

He knew that Sam had made plans for them to meet Cas and Gabe at the bar that night, but Dean was pouting and thinking that maybe he didn’t want to show up.  It would serve Cas right for kissing him like that and then basically ghosting him.  Dean grumbled as he sat on the couch and flipped through the channels.  Feeling a stab of jealousy that Sam’s new thing was going so well, Dean clicked off the television and went to his room.  He flopped down onto his bed and rubbed his temples.  He hadn’t seen Sam since Wednesday afternoon and he figured his brother was holed up at Gabriel’s house.

**To: Sammy**

**Hey bitch.  Are we still on for tonight or are you too busy banging?**

Dean tossed his phone on the pillow next to him and stared up at the ceiling.  Shaking his head he picked it back up and opened Cas’ messages.  There was nothing new.  The last text was from Tuesday, telling Dean that Castiel was on his way to pick him up.

**From: Sammy**

**Jerk.  We’ll be there around nine.  See you then?**

Typing out a response, Dean changed his mind and deleted it.  He stared at his phone and then blew out a breath.

**To: Sammy**

**I’m not really feeling it tonight.**

Sam’s response chimed within seconds.

**From: Sammy**

**You are NOT bailing.  What will Cas think?**

That was the problem, wasn’t it?  Right now, Dean really didn’t care.  Castiel had been ignoring him for days and Dean was fucking angry about that.  He knew that he’d messed up with Claire, but Cas had seemed okay with it at the time.  Apparently not.  His phone vibrated in his hand.

**From: 605-555-4223**

**This is Gabe.  Don’t be a big fucking baby.  Cas told me he hadn’t spoken to you for a couple of days.  He’ll explain tonight, I promise.  If not, you have my permission to punch him in the dick.**

Narrowing his eyes, Dean wondered exactly what Castiel had told his older brother.  He could talk to Gabe, but not Dean?  What the hell was that?  Dean added the new number to his contacts and pecked out a reply.

**To: Gabe**

**How did you get my number?**

He didn’t have to wait long, and once he read the new message he cringed because—no.

**From: Gabe**

**I promised your brother I’d lick chocolate sauce off of his dick if he gave it to me.**

Dean could feel bile rising in his throat at that image.  Jesus, Sammy.

**To: Gabe**

**Fuck, man.  No.**

That was an image that was going to haunt his nightmares now.  He could just see Gabriel holding liquid chocolate and pouring all over Sam and—Nope!  Stop right there.

**From: Sammy**

**Don’t read Gabe’s text.  It’s gross and a lie and I’m sorry.**

Dean made a growling sound in the back of his throat because he just kept _picturing it_.  He was going to kill Gabe when he saw him tonight.  He was a big brother too—the dude should know better.

**To: Sammy**

**Too late bitch.  I don’t want to know these things.  Fine.  I’ll fucking be there.  You better show up.**

He pulled up Cas’ messages once more and stared at the last text.  He thought about sending something, but decided against it.  If he did, he’d probably end up saying something that he’d regret.  Better to just leave it alone.

Dean rubbed his hands over his eyes and decided to fuck-all and just take a nap.  He lay there with his eyes closed, trying to fall asleep but he just kept on picturing Cas’ face.  Before he knew it, his hands were sliding into his pants, rubbing over his rapidly hardening dick.  He wasn’t gentle and it kind of hurt, but he jerked himself to completion with Castiel’s name on his lips.  When he finished, he didn’t even have the energy to clean up.  He lay on his bed, his hand fisted around his softening dick, covered in his own jizz and feeling pathetic.  This was why he didn’t do fucking feelings.

* * *

Castiel felt horrible.  He sat in his office, gnawing on his lip which was beginning to hurt.  He knew through both Sam _and_ Gabriel that Dean was pissed at him.  He didn’t begrudge him that either.  Cas knew he was being ridiculous, but he couldn’t seem to snap out of it.  He had composed a text message to Dean explaining over a dozen times, but he just kept deleting them and ignoring the other man’s calls.

When they had parted on Tuesday evening, Castiel had been fine with how the night had played out.  Sure, he was hurt that Dean had dropped his hand in front of Claire, but he’d brushed aside his feelings in the moment.  Once he was back home in bed though, something sick had roiled in his gut at the memory.  He didn’t want to be with someone who was ashamed or didn’t want to acknowledge him.

He wanted to be supportive and give Dean the time he needed, but what if Dean needed a long time?  What if he dragged this out for years?  Cas knew that he couldn’t handle being someone’s dirty little secret.  So he’d stopped texting and sent all of Dean’s calls to voicemail.  He felt petty and childish, but he couldn’t help himself.  He was well aware that he was being an assbutt.

There was a soft knock at his office door and he called out to enter.  Hael stuck her head inside and smiled at him.  “I have all the new shipment scanned into the system,” she said.  “I’m going to just get them out on the shelves and then I’m out for the night.”

“Thank you,” Cas said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“Are you okay?” Hael squinted at him and stepped into the room.  “You haven’t been smiling for a few days.  I’m not liking the change.”

“I’m fine,” he sighed.  “No,” he amended.  “I’m not fine.  But it’s fine.”

“Somehow I don’t believe you.  You keep saying ‘fine,’ and it doesn’t even sound like a word anymore,” Hael took a seat and waited.  “What’s going on?”

Cas leaned forward on his elbows.  “It’s Dean.”

“Your boyfriend?”

“No,” Cas shook his head.  “He’s not—I mean, we’re just casual right now.”

“But you want him to be your boyfriend,” Hael pointed out.  “You’ve had this ‘mooney-eyed’ look since you met him.  At least until Wednesday morning.”

Castiel sighed and went for it.  He told his friend how upset he really was over Dean’s dismissal during their date.  He spoke about how he wasn’t sure he wanted to be with someone who was just starting out—someone who might be experimenting.  He poured his heart out and told her everything. 

When he finished, Hael fixed him with a disappointed look.  “Considering you _are_ aware of discrimination, being a gay guy,” she said pointedly.  “You’re being pretty biphobic right now.”

Cas sat up in his chair, startled.  “No I’m not.”

“You are,” she insisted.  “You don’t want to be kept a secret, I get that.  But you keep saying that you think Dean is going through a phase and that’s just shitty.  Bisexuals are a real thing—it isn’t just a stepping stone on the road to Gay or Straights-ville.”  She looked at Cas as though he was going to protest.  When he just sat there with a confused look, she went on.  “I love you,” she said.  “You’re my friend.  But you aren’t really giving Dean a chance.  So he made a mistake—I’m sure you’ve done something similar in the past when you were still in the closet.  And from what it sounds like, Dean’s not even _in_ the closet.  Most guys who want to keep things under wraps don’t go to The Pan-ty Dropper every weekend.”

Cas groaned and rubbed his head, messing up his hair even more.  “You’re right.  I’m a dick.”

“Yeah,” she smiled at him.  “The first step is admitting it.”

“What do I do?”

“Apologize,” she said.  “Immediately.  Don’t even say ‘hello,’ just go straight for the ‘I suck and I’m sorry’ portion of the evening.  Wouldn’t hurt to bring a gift either.”

Cas thanked her for her candor, and she left to finish up her last duty for the day.  He sat there for a while, unmoving.  Hael was right.  He’d really fucked up.  Dean would probably walk out of his life, and then where would he be?  Lonely and miserable and without those beautiful green eyes in his life.  Shit.  Castiel picked up his phone and called Sam.  He asked the younger Winchester’s advice on what would make Dean give him another chance and was surprised at the answer.

Thanking Sam, Cas hung up and grabbed his coat, rushing out of the library and down the street.  He skidded to a halt in front of Donna’s and walked straight up to the counter.  “Hey there, Castiel,” Donna waved at him.  “It’s a little late for lunch,” she commented.

“I need pie,” Cas told her, panic in his voice.

“Ooookay,” she said, pointing at the glass case of baked goods.  “I have a few slices left.”

“Do you have any whole pies?”

“In the back, ya,” Donna said.  “I think it’s just caramel apple left though, is that okay?”

“It’s perfect,” Cas relaxed.

He waited while Donna placed a flaky crusted dessert into a silver box and handed it to him.  Castiel thanked her and left, running all the way back to the library, clutching the box to his chest.  He really hoped that this would work.  He needed Dean.  He had to find a way to make this right.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Cas talk.  
> Sam slips up and reveals too much, too soon.

Flashing a smile at Benny in his regular position at the door, Sam stepped into the bar with Gabriel at his side.  The shorter man’s hand was resting low on Sam’s back and he leaned into the comforting pressure.  They spotted Dean at a table, slumped down in his seat looking fuming mad.  The two of them exchanged a look and went over to join Sam’s brother.

“Panties still in a bunch?” Gabe asked as they sat down.

“Shut up,” Dean grumbled.  He already had two empty glasses in front of him and had obviously foregone his fruity cocktails for his old standby of straight whiskey.

“Calm down, Dean-o,” Gabe said after he and Sam ordered drinks.  “Cas isn’t a bad guy.  Don’t give up on him just yet.”

“He’s the one who gave up on me,” Dean muttered.

Sam looked pityingly at his brother but he changed the subject, talking to Gabe about their plans for the rest of the weekend.  Dean glowered and didn’t speak, simply drinking his whiskey and randomly saying things under his breath.  Balthazar stopped by, glancing warily at Dean, but smiled at the other two, giving his congratulations on their one week anniversary.  Sam saw Dean roll his eyes at the sentiment.

Ten minutes later, the bar’s door opened and Castiel walked in, his trench coat billowing behind him.  He was holding tight to a large silver box and looking hurriedly around the packed room.  Gabe and Sam lifted their arms in greeting and waved him over.  Dean just sat there, glaring.

Cas practically ran toward them, dodging the people on the dance floor and stumbling a little in his haste.  He made a beeline for the older Winchester and came to a stop next to Dean’s chair, practically touching him.  Dean stared straight ahead.  “Dean,” Cas said breathily.

“Dean?” Sam poked his brother in the shoulder when he didn’t respond to Castiel.

“What?” Dean growled after a minute.

“I am so very sorry,” Cas said in a rush.  “My behavior has been abhorrent and I apologize and beg your forgiveness.”  He set the silver box down in front of Dean spilling a little of his whiskey onto the table.

“That’s expensive shit, Cas,” Dean barked.

“I will pay to replace it,” Cas said.

Dean grunted and took another chug of his booze.  “Don’t bother.  I got it.”

Sam grunted and glared at his brother.  “He’s trying, Dean,” Sam hissed.  “Give him a chance.”

“What’s in the box, Cassie?” Gabriel piped up.  “Something sexy?”

Cas levelled a look at his brother.  “Something I hope that Dean will enjoy.”

“Dean,” Sam prodded again.

Rolling his eyes again, Dean pushed himself up and touched the box lightly.  “Fine,” he said to Sam.  “I’ll open it.  Happy?”  Sam watched as Dean pulled the top up and let it drop to the table.  Sitting inside was a painstakingly crafted pie with a lattice crust and thick lines of caramel dribbled over the top.  Sam winked at Cas and gave him a thumbs up.

For the first time that evening, Dean actually smiled.  “Woah,” he said.  He reached his hand into the box and broke off a piece of the crust’s edge, popping it into his mouth.  He moaned as he chewed.  “So buttery!”

“Really, Dean?” Sam laughed.  “You can’t wait until you get home?  You’re just going to eat it with your hands?”

“Sensual,” Gabe commented.

Cas shifted and moved even closer, the buttons on his trench coat brushing Dean’s shoulder.  “May we please talk Dean?”

Dean ate another piece of the crust and finally looked up at Cas.  “Okay,” he said with a sigh.  “Yeah, we can talk.  Over there.”  He pointed at one of the back booths.

“Of course,” Cas said solemnly.

Picking up his pie and following Castiel away, Dean left his whiskey on the table with the others as though he didn’t need it anymore.  Sam smiled.  The way to his brother’s heart was definitely through his stomach.  He turned back to Gabriel with a smile.  “I guess that worked out okay,” he said.

“I fucking hope so,” Gabe replied.  “Cas is a moron if he lets your brother get away.”

“I think it will be fine,” Sam predicted.

Gabriel smiled across the table at him and placed his drink down.  “Wanna dance with me, Samshine?”

Laughing, Sam chugged the rest of his drink and nodded.  “Not really my thing, but I’ll make an exception for you.”

They headed out to the crowded dance floor hand in hand, moving together to the music pumping through the speakers.  When Gabe’s arms slid around his waist and pulled him in, Sam felt at peace.  He just hoped that this kept going in a positive direction.  He didn’t want to think back at how dark and lifeless he had been before this impish lover had found him.

* * *

Castiel was relieved that Dean agreed to speak with him, but when they sat down and Cas reached for his hand, Dean twitched and pulled away.  He tried not to let that hurt his feelings too much.  He stayed quiet, watching as Dean kept breaking off pieces of the crust’s edge and eating them.  Finally, he said, “I need to be clear with my apology.”

Looking up at him, Dean’s eyes were dark.  “You shut me out, man,” Dean accused.

“I know,” Cas dipped his head.  “That was not my intention.”

“Then why’d you do it?” Dean kept eating with his fingers.

He sighed and knew that it was now or never.  “I was more hurt by your actions at the pumpkin patch than I let on,” he said.  “I tried to move past it, but I found that I couldn’t.  In my misguided thoughts, I tried to step back before this went any further.  However, I realize that was a mistake seeing as my feelings for you are much stronger than one would expect after so short an acquaintance.”

“You’re talking like a dictionary,” Dean chuckled a little.  Cas was just glad that he wasn’t glaring at him anymore.  “So you admit you were a dick?”

“I was,” Cas said gravely.  “Also, my friend Hael pointed out that my thinking was rather derogatory toward you.”

Dean narrowed his eyes.  “In what way?”

“She said I was being biphobic by holding you at arm’s length,” Cas sighed, looking down at the table.  “I was concerned about your motivations with me.  Which caused me to project my fears that you would use me onto our relationship.  For that, I am truly sorry.  It was not my intent.”

Breaking off another piece of pie crust, Dean ate it and chewed thoughtfully.  “I guess when you say it like that, then yeah, you were being biphobic.”

“The thought that I discriminated against you, makes me physically ill,” Cas admitted.

Dean nodded.  He hesitated for a moment and reached his hand across the table, grabbing Castiel’s palm.  “Thank you,” he said.

“For what?” Cas tilted his head.

“For apologizing,” Dean said.  “For admitting that you were an ass.  Saying flat out that you were judging me for my sexuality.  That’s a big thing, man.  I appreciate it.”

They sat in silence, Dean running his thumb over Cas’ palm.  Finally, Castiel couldn’t bear it any longer.  “Will you please give me another chance?”  His voice and his eyes were pleading.

Dean pushed the pie box to the side of the table and stood up from his chair, pulling his hand away and bracing both palms on the tabletop.  He smiled down at Cas who was looking incredibly worried.  “Relax, angel,” he said as he leaned in.  Placing a sweet kiss to Cas’ lips which startled the librarian, Dean chuckled lightly.  “I’d be happy to let you make it up to me, Cas.”

“Thank, God,” Cas breathed.

“I expect pampering,” Dean joked as he pulled away and sat back down.  “You’ve got to really earn it.”

Cas could tell that he was being teased and it relaxed his tense muscles ever so slightly.  “I will treat you so well, Dean,” he promised.

“Let’s go back and make fun of Sammy for dancing like a freaking newborn moose,” Dean suggested, standing and holding out his hand.  Cas smiled at him and grasped their palms together, following Dean through the throng of people.  He was going to do everything in his power to make Dean see how much he already meant to him.  Cas wasn’t about to mess this up again.  He had been given his second chance at happiness.

* * *

After spending a ridiculously long time teasing Sam about his dance moves, Dean actually joined his brother out on the floor leaving Gabe and Cas alone at their table.  The Novak brothers watched as their dates moved jerkily amongst the other drunken patrons.  “You two crazy kids kiss and make up?” Gabe asked.

“He is giving me another chance.”

“Good,” Gabe nodded.  “Don’t fuck it up this time.”

“I don’t intend to,” Cas said.  He turned and looked at his brother.  Gabriel couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away from Sam and he had a light smile playing on his lips.  “You aren’t panicking,” he commented.

“About what?” Gabe bobbed his head to music.

“When was the last time you slept with someone more than twice?” Castiel asked.  “And don’t lie to me.”

Gabe tore his eyes away from Sam.  “Kali,” he said after a beat.  “Right before mom and dad’s accident.”

“That’s what I thought,” Cas hummed.  “That was fifteen years ago.”

“I guess so,” Gabe said.  “I didn’t want anything to interfere with taking care of you, and Kali wanted me to spend all my time with her.  She could really be a selfish bitch, you know?  Kind of soured me on relationships.  One person always taking, never giving.  I didn’t want to deal with that shit.  It’s…different with Sam,” Gabe slid his eyes back to the younger Winchester.  “It _feels_ different at least.”

“You’re falling for him,” Cas observed.  “I never thought I’d see that.”

Gabe punched him in the shoulder.  “Don’t malign my character like that,” he joked.  “But, yeah, I like him.”

“Are you exclusive?”

“We haven’t talked about it,” Gabe said.  “Are you and the Dean Machine going steady?”

“We haven’t talked about it either,” Cas said darkly.

Gabriel hummed.  “Ooh, ouch,” he said.  “You _have_ got it bad, don’t you?  You’re sitting there giving me grief and I can see the little wheels in your robot head turning.  You’re ready to pick out china patterns and adopt another cat from the shelter with this guy.”

“I already have a cat,” Cas told him.

“You know what I mean,” Gabe laughed.  “Oh, this is good.  I honestly thought that maybe you were repressed or something.  I guess some pretty green eyes just gets you all hot and bothered enough to put a ring on it.”

Cas slumped and glared at his brother.  “We aren’t exclusive,” he said.  “Yet.  I’m not considering marriage at this stage.”

“I’m calling it at three months,” Gabe announced.  “In three months, give or take a week, you’ll break and propose.  You’ll probably get shot down too,” Gabe laughed.

“I hate you,” Cas said as the Winchesters rejoined them.

Sam kissed Gabriel on the top of the head.  “Well I love you,” he said happily.  The other three men stared at him in shock.  “Oh, shit,” Sam said loudly.  “I mean—I like you.  Of course I don’t _love_ you because, yeah, it’s been like a week.  That would be insane.  And I swear I’m not insane.  I just meant that you’re great, Gabe, and I—“

“Please stop,” Gabriel smiled at Sam, putting a hand on his forearm.  “I think you just gave your brother a stroke.”

“Jesus, Sammy,” Dean huffed.

Sam cradled his face in his hands while Gabriel rubbed his shoulders, laughing.  “I love you too, kiddo,” Gabe said.  “Now you’re not the only weirdo at the table.”

They ordered more drinks, happily teasing Sam for his accidental confession.  The night passed quickly and Cas was comforted when he felt Dean’s hand settle just above his knee.  He leaned into the touch, reveling in the closeness.  When Gabe jumped up, offering to pay their bill, Cas smiled as the Winchesters thanked him profusely, even after Dean tried to pay himself.  A few moments later, Sam and Gabe said their goodnights and left, waving at them from the door.

Cas took a deep breath and heard the words come out before he could really consider them.  “Would you like to come home with me tonight, Dean?”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everybody gets NSFW...

Before the awful experience of their first fight, Castiel had told Dean that he had taken to walking downtown to The Pan-ty Dropper whenever they met.  In the past, Cas had always driven, because he would pick up Gabriel and stay sober enough to drive them both home.  But now that Sam was practically glued to his brother’s side, the two of them would come together in one of Gabe’s flashy cars.  Gabriel even let Sam drive them, which was a rare thing.  Cas suggested that they simply walk to his home, but Dean refused to leave his Baby parked on the street overnight.

It was only a few blocks to Cas’ bungalow and they rode in silence.  For his part, Dean was actually kind of nervous.  He’d known the Novaks for three weeks now and already, he and Cas had experienced quite a few ups and downs.  He envied the easiness that Sam had with Gabe.  One hand gripped the steering wheel and Dean reached out with his free palm and took Cas’ fingers into his own.

He didn’t need directions to Cas’ place, which sort of surprised them both seeing that Dean had only been there the one time.  It was if he just instinctually knew the way.  He parked in the driveway and followed Cas up the steps to the porch.  Castiel unlocked the door but turned to Dean before opening it.  “Are you certain that you want to be here?”

“I don’t do things that I don’t want to do,” Dean told him.  He could tell that although they were on their way to healing, Cas was still feeling guilty and upset.  “Seriously, Cas,” he said.  “I’m good.  Fresh start and all that.”

Nodding, Cas opened the door and welcomed Dean into his home.  As soon as the door was locked behind them, Dean took Cas’ face into his hands and backed the slightly shorter man into the wood of the front entry.  He bent down and kissed Cas openly, drawing a small sound from the librarian’s throat.  Dean trapped Cas between his arms, pinning him tightly.

It could have been only seconds, or perhaps a month, before they finally broke away, Dean resting his forehead against Cas’.  “You’re a very good kisser, Dean,” Cas said.

“So I’ve been told,” he grinned.

Castiel frowned up at him.  “I don’t want to hear about you with anyone else.  I’m not good at sharing.”

“Neither am I,” Dean told him.

They watched each other for a moment before Cas ducked out of Dean’s embrace and walked down the dark hallway toward the kitchen.  Dean let out a breath and followed.  By the time he joined Cas in the kitchen, his host had turned on a few dim lights and was pulling tall, blue tinted glasses out of a cupboard.  “Would you like something to drink?”

“What do you have?” Dean asked.  He was worried that Cas had walked away.  They seemed like they had been doing better and now Dean was wondering if he’d fucked up.  Cas was speaking, telling him the beverage choices that he had available, but Dean wasn’t really paying attention.  He was too focused on Cas’ pink lips and the fact that he was starting to get concerned.  “I’ll take the last one,” he said when he realized Cas was looking at him expectantly.

“Lemonade then,” Cas walked to the fridge.

Thank god, Dean thought.  For all he knew, he’d just agreed to tequila shots.  He could do lemonade, even though he wasn’t really a fan of it in the colder months.  He watched as Cas poured two glasses, handing one to him.  The lemonade was sweet with an almost overwhelming amount of sugar, but still good.  He cleared his throat after the first drink and Cas smiled at him.  “I make it this way for Gabriel when he visits,” he explained.  “I know it’s a little much.”

Dean laughed hard and Cas quirked his brow.  “Sorry,” Dean tried to stop.  “I was just thinking that if this thing with our brothers actually goes anywhere, then Gabe is in for a rude awakening.”

“Why is that?” Cas sounded concerned.

“Nothing bad,” Dean promised.  “It’s just,” he barked out another laugh.  “Sammy is a real health nut.  Bordering on the crunchy granola, all organic, locally sourced, hippie shit.  He actually likes Farmer’s Markets.  And Gabe…I think he might eat his weight in sugar on a daily basis.”

Finally Cas smiled, seeing what Dean was so amused by.  “That is true.  Gabriel will probably have to start hiding his candy in the wall safe.”

“Sam would never force him to stop eating what he wants,” Dean said.  “But I can totally picture the bitchy looks he’d shoot at Gabe if he ate chocolate before dinner.”

“Last Christmas, Gabriel didn’t eat the catered meal with me and Lucifer,” Cas said.  “He filled his plate with chocolate bells and ate about a pound of them while Lucifer and I had prime rib.”

“Wait, what?” Dean said after his totally manly giggles subsided.  “Did you say you spent Christmas with someone named Lucifer?”

“I forgot that we haven’t really spoken of our families,” Cas said.  “My brother, Lucifer Novak.  I have another, the oldest, named Michael.”

“I’m sorry,” Dean stared at him.  “I’m trying to wrap my head around the fact that your _brother_ is named after the devil.”

Nodding and giving a small huff, Cas said.  “I love him, but he can sometimes live up to his name.”

“Why haven’t Sam and I met him before?”

“He lives in Colorado,” Cas shrugged.  “He’s a doctor.”

“Doctor Satan,” Dean hid a smile.  “Sounds like a television show.”

“I’m sure you’ll meet him this year,” Cas told him.  “He flies in for Thanksgiving every year, and on occasion, Christmas as well.  Michael lives overseas and I don’t think he’s joined us for holidays—or ever—in almost six years.”

“Sam and I usually spend the holidays alone.  Just the two of us.”  Dean commented.  “I’m sure Jody will want us to come over for Turkey Day this year though.”

They both went silent, at the thought of Dean’s family.  The fact that he hadn’t come out to them yet hung over the two men.  “Well if for some reason she doesn’t,” Cas said finally.  “You and Sam are more than welcome at Gabriel’s house.”

It felt odd to be discussing the future this way, when only a few hours earlier, they were having their first big blow-out.  Dean bit his lip.  He watched as Cas set down his glass and moved toward him.  Castiel placed his hand on Dean’s bicep and looked up at him soulfully.  “I don’t mean to rush you, or push you away,” Cas said.

“You’re not pushing,” Dean promised.  “I guess I’m just a little surprised.  I mean, this morning, I kind of thought you hated me.”

“I could never hate you,” Cas was serious.  “I find that I…like you—very much.”

“I like you too, Cas,” Dean leaned down and kissed those tantalizing lips.

Cas took his lemonade from him, without breaking their contact and fumbled a moment, setting it on the counter.  As soon as their hands were free, they were roaming, running over the planes of muscles on each other’s bodies.  Castiel tilted his head back, his eyes closed, and Dean took the opportunity to lick down his jawline.  “Fuck, Cas,” he said.  “You taste so good.”  Castiel didn’t reply with words, he just moaned and gave a small whine of pleasure.  “Can’t wait to see what the rest of you tastes like,” Dean whispered.

“Bedroom,” Cas grunted suddenly.  He pushed his hands against Dean’s chest, grabbed his hand and pulled the other man down the hall.

Dean wasn’t paying attention to anything as they moved.  His eyes were trained on the sway of Cas’ narrow hips as he led him toward the bedroom.  He licked his lips in anticipation.  The room was large, and so was the bed, neatly made, along the far wall.  A little forcefully, Cas maneuvered him, almost shoving him onto the bed.  Dean perched on the end, watching as Cas loomed over him.

“Dean,” Cas’ voice was incredibly low and his blue eyes were lidded as he watched Dean through those sinfully thick lashes.  “I want to make you feel good.”

“You’re doing a bang up job,” Dean winked.

Cas knelt, settling on the wood floor between Dean’s legs.  He placed his hand against Dean’s groin, palming the hardness under his tight jeans.  Dean sucked in a breath at the contact.  He let his head fall back and felt Cas’ fingers working at the closures.  When Cas’ hands slipped into his pants, working his boxer briefs down, Dean finally began to watch.  Pulling at Dean’s pants, Cas gripped and tugged until Dean finally lifted his hips to assist.  When his jeans and boxers were trapped around his knees, Cas gently ran a single digit over Dean’s tip.

“I know that you mentioned a past blow job,” Cas said softly.  “And I’m sure you have received plenty in the past.”

“From women, though,” Dean’s chest was moving roughly.  Another guy was actually touching him, looking at him.  The thing at the diner, he had stayed fully dressed and the other man had just gotten off and left, leaving Dean on the floor with jizz on his face.  He was excited that Cas was staring at him reverently, acting as though he wanted to be exactly there—with Dean.

“As further apology for the past few days, I would love to show you what you have been missing with a man,” Cas looked up at him, pleading.

Dean actually stopped breathing.  This was like every fantasy he’d ever had about men.  Someone _wanted_ him and oh yeah, he could tell that Cas was just as turned on as he was.  “Yeah, Cas,” he finally managed.  “That’d be good.”

“Excellent,” Cas smirked playfully.

This was happening, Dean thought.  He watched Cas’ head dip down, lightly licking him, before the older man swallowed him down in one go.  Dean bucked unconsciously into Cas’ throat but the other man didn’t seem to notice.  He was taking Dean in fully, as though it was the easiest thing in the world.  Dean remembered his own experience, kneeling on the dirty tile of the diner’s men’s room with a stranger’s dick in his mouth.  He’d been exhilarated, scared, and he’d drooled way too much.  Cas was working him over expertly and he wasn’t drooling.  He wasn’t even gagging, and Dean knew that he wasn’t exactly small.

One of Cas’ hands was gripping his thigh tightly, while the other wound up and cupped his testicles.  At the same time, Cas was hollowing out his cheeks and pulling Dean in deeper.  “Fuck,” Dean grunted when Cas hummed around him.  He couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Cas had barely started and Dean was coming undone.  He wasn’t going to last very long watching his cock disappear into that plump, pink mouth.  Dean knew that this felt better than anything he had previously experienced.  He wasn’t going to come back from this.  Cas looked up and him, sucking hard, and Dean’s heart thumped.  It dawned on him that this wasn’t just amazing because it was a finally a guy—it felt this good because it was _Cas._

He could feel his blood pumping and all of his pulse points tingled.  His tongue poked out from between his lips and he softly put his hand into Cas’ messy, black hair.  Castiel looked up at him again and gave a slight nod of assent.  At that, Dean couldn’t hold back and he fisted his fingers tightly into Cas’ locks.  “Castiel,” he groaned, using the man’s full name for once.  “I’m so—so fucking close, angel.”

A hard swallow had him jerking his hips and Dean felt momentarily guilty that he was basically trying to fuck Cas’ mouth.  He didn’t think he’d like it if some dude shoved their cock that hard into his face, and he tried to pull back.  The grip on his thigh intensified and he knew that Cas was fine with it, wanting him to let go.  Cas pulled off of him and fixed him with a look.  “I want you to feel your pleasure Dean,” Cas was solemn.  “Please don’t hold back.”

He couldn’t do anything but nod and Cas’ lips dipped back down, wrapping around him once more.  This wasn’t going to last.  Dean was so close.  He pushed toward Cas and was rewarded with a long, slow lick up the underside of his dick.  Leaning up, now both of his hands were curling through Castiel’s hair, pushing him slightly deeper.  Cas’ ministrations didn’t let up and Dean could feel heat curling in his groin.  “I’m gonna—Cas—“ He said brokenly.

Doing his best to warn his partner that he was inches from release, Dean misjudged the timing and came hard.  He shot his warm seed into Cas’ mouth, expecting the other man to pull away.  He was pleasantly surprised when Cas sucked harder, wrenching his orgasm from him.  He could feel his cock twitch in Cas’ mouth as he began to come down.  Still sucking, Castiel drank down everything Dean had given him before releasing the younger man and staring up at him.

Keeping one hand on Castiel’s head, Dean placed his other on his chest, reveling in the feeling of his pounding heart.  “Shit!  That was—it was—fuck,” Dean managed.  He looked down and saw some stray splashes of cum at the corner of Cas’ lips.  “You swallowed,” he said in awe.

Cas braced himself as Dean let go of his hair and stood, looking down on the satiated mess that was Dean Winchester.  “I enjoy it,” Cas told him.

Dean’s pants were still around his knees and he was going soft.  He put up absolutely no resistance when Cas lightly guided him down onto his back, his feet dangling off the end of the bed.  Cas pressed his lips to Dean’s and despite the fact that it should have been sort of gross, it wasn’t.  Dean even licked at some of the cum still clinging to Cas’ mouth—which he had never considered doing before.

“I’ll be right back,” Cas said softly.  “Stay here, don’t move.”

Dean nodded weakly.  He was pretty sure he _couldn’t_ move.  He hadn’t come down so hard in his life.  He lay there, panting, fully exposed, still wearing his shirt and just trying to regulate his breathing.  Cas returned a moment later and Dean felt a warm wetness at his groin.  He lifted his head and watched as Cas lovingly cleaned him off with a damp cloth.  He thought that it would feel weird with Cas still fully dressed and Dean’s cock just lying there, but it didn’t.  It felt peaceful.

Finished, Cas left again to get rid of the washrag and Dean tilted his face to watch the man go.  Damn, Castiel had a fine ass.  When Cas came back, he gently helped Dean scoot up onto the bed so he was laying on the fluffy pillows.  He moved around to the foot and removed Dean’s pants and boxers with care, dropping them onto the floor.  When Cas started to unbutton the collar of his shirt, watching him intently, Dean finally managed to sit up and pull his own top over his head.  He lay back down, fully nude, and kept his eyes on the slightly awkward strip-tease that Cas was giving him.

It was slow, the removal of clothes, but Dean sort of wanted it to last forever.  When Cas’ pants came off, Dean openly stared at the man’s thick cock swinging between his thighs.  Holy shit—that was a monster!  Just at a glance, Dean could tell that Cas was more well-endowed than him and that was a feat.  He couldn’t take his eyes off of the swollen red tip as Castiel crawled up onto the bed next to him.  Dean wanted that.  He wanted to feel that huge dick splitting him open more than anything.  He thought back to his conversation with Balthazar and knew that while he was scared of it hurting, that Cas would never injure him.  Not on purpose.  Cas had all the makings of a tender, giving, and compassionate lover.

As Cas settled in next to him, Dean tore his eyes away from the other man’s dick and looked up into those blue eyes.  “How do you feel?” Cas asked him with concern.

“Fucking amazing,” Dean said.  “Different.  It’s different with a guy I think.  You know more about what feels good and…I don’t know,” Dean turned on his side so that they were face to face, their hands closed together.  “That was the best fucking blow job in the universe!”

“And I wasn’t even using all of my tricks,” Cas teased him.

“I’m not sure I could handle much more than that,” Dean scrunched his nose.  Cas just smiled at him impishly.  “I know you invited me over,” Dean said.  “But I don’t think I can actually have sex tonight.”

Cas kissed him.  “I didn’t intend for us to have sex, Dean,” he said.  “I honestly wasn’t going to initiate anything tonight—but I can’t seem to resist you.”  Dean wasn’t sure what to say to that.  “I’d like you to stay,” Cas said, as though he was afraid of Dean’s response.

“Cas,” he said.  “I’m not moving.”

He smiled as Cas burrowed into his chest, running his hands along Dean’s sides.  They wrapped their legs around one another and pulled the blankets up over them.  After a few lazy kisses, Dean rested their foreheads together.  “What are you doing tomorrow night?”

Squinting at him, Cas said, “Nothing.”

“Well, now you are,” Dean told him.  Cas looked at him questioningly.  “I want you to come to Jody’s for dinner with me and Sam.”

Castiel’s eyes widened.  “Are you sure, Dean?”

“They’re my family,” he said.  “And deep down, I know they won’t give a fuck about us.  They’ll be happy for me.  And I’d kind of like to keep you around for a while.  Only makes sense for you to meet them.”

“I don’t want to push you,” Cas said.

“You’re not,” Dean promised him.  He kissed the corner of Cas’ lips.  “I have a good feeling about this.  You know,” he said thoughtfully.  “For as much of a bastard as he could be, my dad taught me something that’s really stuck with me.  He said that Winchesters always stand up for themselves and that we don’t back down.  I’m sick of not standing up and telling the people who are closest to me who I really am.”

Cas nodded and gave him a small smile.  “If you are certain, then I will stand with you,” he said.  They kissed some more and Cas ran his finger over Dean’s lips.  “Let’s go to sleep,” he suggested.  “We can discuss this more tomorrow.  I don’t want you doing this just because you’re all hazy from sex.”

Dean knew that he wasn’t going to change his mind when the sun rose.  He wanted this.  He wanted Cas.  Wrapping his arms around Castiel’s body, Dean closed his eyes feeling warm and safe.  As he drifted off, he wondered why he’d put off talking to Jody for so long.  He knew she would accept him and he couldn’t wait for her to meet Castiel.  This was a good thing.  Maybe Cas was right and it was the post-orgasm glow, but Dean finally felt as though something was going his way.

* * *

“Shit,” Sam dug around in his canvas duffel bag sitting on the edge of Gabriel’s bed.  The man in question was leaning back into his pillows, watching him, his eyes crinkling.

“What’s up Sammich?”

“I can’t find any more clean socks,” Sam said, pulling things out and tossing them aside.  “I’m going to have to stop back at my apartment tomorrow and get some.”  He looked up at Gabe.  “That is, if you’re okay with me staying another night?”

“If I had my way, you’d never set foot in that rat-trap again,” Gabriel said leering at him.

“You’ve never even been there—how do you know it’s a shit-hole?” Sam laughed.

“I’ve never been there because you obviously have no manners and have never invited me over,” Gabe teased him.

Sam began to put away the few things he’d packed, folding them all neatly.  “I like it here better,” he admitted.

“Good,” Gabe swung his legs over the bed and hopped up.  “Cause I like you here too.”  He opened a dresser drawer and rummaged around for a moment, finally coming up with a balled up pair of athletic socks.  He tossed them to Sam, who caught them deftly.  “Here you go.  Use these.”  Sitting down on the bed, Sam pulled the socks apart and began to work one onto his foot.  He got them almost over the arch of his foot and stopped.  “What?” Gabe asked, watching him.

“They don’t fit,” Sam said, looking up.  “They’re…too small,” he grimaced, not wanting to offend his lover.

Gabe just burst out laughing and pointed at him, doubling over with mirth.  “You’re a giant,” he said.  “What size shoes do you wear, you moose?”

“I’m a thirteen,” Sam told him.

“Yeah,” Gabe chuckled.  “I’m an eight.  The socks I buy go up to a twelve I think.  You’re shit out of luck, kiddo.  Milk’s not always good for you, you know.  It’s your own fault for growing too much when you were a kid.”

“I’m a perfectly normal height,” Sam grumbled.

“Please,” Gabe walked over and sat down next to him.  “You can’t fit into my Alfa Romeo.  You bitched _so_ much when you tried to pull it out of the garage.”

Rolling his eyes and smacking Gabe on the shoulder, he said.  “I should have picked the Humvee.  Is there a hidden booster seat in the driver’s side?  How exactly do you even drive that again, Emperor Golbasto?”

“Did you just call me a Lilliputian?” Gabe’s mouth dropped.  “Asshole,” he said happily.

Impressed that Gabriel had picked up his literary reference, Sam smiled. He enjoyed the fact that they could tease each other like this.  In his previous relationships, things had always been so serious.  He’d never even used simple pet names before.  Somehow, Gabe brought out the playful side of Sam Winchester, and he was liking it.

He felt Gabriel’s hand wrap around his bicep and pull him forward.  Their lips met harshly and soon they were falling back onto the bed tangled around one another.  Gabe slid up Sam’s body, straddling him and pinning him to the bed with an unforgiving kiss.  “Good things come in small packages, Sam.  I’ll have to teach you that.”

“I guess travelling with you _would_ be nice,” Sam bit Gabriel’s bottom lip lightly.  “I mean, you’d totally fit into my carry-on.”

“Yeah, I’m travel-sized for your convenience,” Gabe quoted ‘Mulan,’ which made Sam chuckle even more.

They pulled off one another’s clothes, never breaking apart for very long.  By the time Sam had flipped Gabe over and prepared him, they were both breathing fast.  Sam rolled on a condom and pushed in slowly, trying to hold Gabriel still until he was fully seated.  The smaller man writhed beneath him, pulling on Sam’s arms, urging him forward.  They moved together, setting up a quick pace that was causing Sam to actually see stars.

“My legs are long enough for this,” Gabe taunted him, wrapping his thighs around Sam’s waist and locking his ankles together.  “Shit, Sammy,” Gabe gasped.

“You’re amazing,” Sam shouted as he pumped in hard.  Gabriel was clenching around him, forcing Sam closer to the brink.  “Fuck, don’t do that,” Sam begged.  “I want this to last.”

“Well, I want to watch you lose it as you come inside me,” Gabe squeezed his inner muscles once more, sending Sam over the edge.

He stilled inside his lover, filling the condom and groaning.  Gabe pumped his own dick with his hand a few more times before joining him, covering their skin.  Sam pulled out, removing the condom and uncaringly crumpling it into his fist as he collapsed onto the bed next to Gabriel.  “Talk about a quickie,” Gabe commented.

“I swear,” Sam gasped.  “I usually last a hell of a lot longer than that.”

“No complaints here,” Gabe chuckled.  “Fuck, you’re going to ruin me for everyone else, kiddo.”

He had said it lightly—casual—but it sent shivers down Sam’s spine, right to his toes.  He liked Gabriel, maybe too much, too soon; but he couldn’t seem to care.  Sam knew that Gabe was a playboy—the other man had been pretty up front about it—but somewhere in the back of his mind he held on to hope.  Hope that one day, maybe Gabe would want to keep him around for a very long time.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and Cas go shopping (slightly NSFW).  
> Sam and Dean prep for dinner.

Castiel had reluctantly said goodbye to Dean the next morning and went about cleaning up the kitchen from their breakfast.  He knew that Dean had things to do before they went over to Sheriff Mill’s house that evening, even though he wished he could have kept Dean naked in his bed for the rest of the day.  Absently rinsing coffee dregs from a mug, Cas realized that this was the perfect opportunity for him to run an errand of his own.

He finished the dishes and got dressed—he’d already bathed that morning, with company.  They’d simply soaped each other’s skin before frotting together under the warm spray of the shower.  It had been an enjoyable start to the day.  Cas was nervous about meeting the women that Dean called ‘family,’ so he pre-emptively dressed for the dinner that night.  He wanted to be ready and waiting when Dean arrived later that afternoon.

Once ready, he figured that he had procrastinated enough and finally dialed his brother.  Gabriel picked up on the second ring and shouted a greeting at him.  “I apologize if I’m interrupting,” Cas started.

“Nope,” Gabe was eating something.  Probably candy, despite the early hour.  “The Jolly Sexy Giant had to run home for a while, so I’m free.  What’s up?”

Cas could feel himself blushing.  He couldn’t remember the name of the store Gabriel had mentioned in the past, otherwise he would have just Googled it himself.  “I need an address,” he said.

“Okay, for where?”

“That store that you like,” Cas said vaguely.

“You’re gonna have to narrow that down, bro,” Gabriel pushed.  “I shop at more than one place.”

Cas sighed and rubbed his left temple.  “The store where you bought your Halloween costume,” he ground out.

His brother laughed at him.  For a very long time.  When Gabriel was finally composed he said, “Pleasure Treasures?  Really?  What are you going to buy?  Do you want company?”

“I do not require assistance,” Cas pleaded.  “Pleasure Treasures is the name?  Thank you,” and he went to hang up.

“No!” Gabe shouted before he could end the call.  “I want to come.  I could use to replenish my supplies too.  I’ll meet you there in an hour.”  Gabriel hung up on him before Cas could convince him to stay away.  Damn.

The trip to the sex shoppe on the outskirts of town didn’t seem so enjoyable with his older, slightly perverted brother tagging along.  Cas had hoped to keep his purchase to himself, but he knew that Gabe would bother him until he knew everything.

Feeling a headache coming on, he took a few tablets of ibuprofen with a large glass of water.  Half an hour later, he was driving down the road to meet his brother at a store that specialized in the kinky.  Gabriel’s bright blue Humvee was already parked in the lot when Cas pulled in.  He frowned because Gabe rarely drove that behemoth due to the gas mileage.

Castiel dragged his feet as he entered Pleasure Treasures and found Gabriel poking around by a display near the window showing an impressive array of flavored lubrication.  His brother held up a bottle and waved it at him.  “They have candy cane flavor for the holidays,” he announced.

“Wouldn’t that just be mint flavored?” Cas wondered.

Gabe put the lube back.  “Yeah, probably.  Boring.”  He pointed to an orange bottle and said, “I’m not touching ‘pumpkin spice’ with a ten-foot pole though.  Why is everything fucking pumpkin flavored this time of year?”

“Why are you driving the Humvee?” Cas asked him, trying to change the subject.

 Shrugging, Gabriel picked up a cake batter flavored tube and examined it.  “This looks good,” he commented.  “No reason really,” he finally said.  “Sam was giving me shit about how big it was, so I’m just proving to him that I can handle something of above average size.”  Gabe wiggled his eyebrows and Cas face-palmed.

 “I have something to purchase,” he said.  “Don’t follow me.”

 “Wouldn’t dream of it,” Gabe said as he trailed after Castiel anyway.

 Cas made a beeline toward the back of the store while Gabriel followed him, actually carrying a little shopping basket that he was slowly filling with random things.  Reaching the display he was looking for, Castiel glanced back at his brother who was now holding a life-like ten pound dildo.  “Are you really buying all of that?”

“I have a new protégé,” Gabe joked.  “Why not though?  I can afford it.”

That was very true.  They both could, in fact.  Cas stared at the selections in front of him wondering if he should tell Dean about his sizeable bank account.  He’d never mentioned it to past lovers before—there had never really been a need.  Most of his previous relationships bordered on extremely casual.  He’d actually never even met someone’s family before.  That would certainly change tonight.  He picked up a package and turned it over to read the back.

“Nice choice,” Gabe said, peeking over his shoulder.  “Long-Wear Butt Plug,” he commented.  “Dean-o could get a lot of use out of that.”

Cas glared at him.  “I’m trying to ease him into this.”

“Well that,” Gabe pointed at the box in Castiel’s hand.  “Isn’t the only thing you want to _ease into him_ , is it?”

He’d walked right into that.  He should know better after all of these years.  “Please shut up,” Cas growled at his brother.

Gabe laughed at him and pointed up at the sign stating that there was a sale to buy something and get another for free.  “Take advantage of that,” he advised before he swung around, something else catching his eye.  “Oooh, paddles,” Gabe wandered away.  “Do you think Sam would be into this?” He called to Cas across the store, waving a wooden board in the air with the words ‘Bad Boy’ written on it.

Cas blushed and looked around to see if anyone was watching them.  They were the only customers, and the lone employee was reading a magazine, but he was still uncomfortable.  “Leave me alone, Gabriel.” 

He noticed that Gabe had placed the paddle in his basket and he worried a little for Sam.  His brother could be intense, Castiel knew that.  He didn’t believe that Gabe would ever do something that Sam wasn’t one hundred percent okay with.  However, Cas also didn’t know if Sam would set limits, worried about losing Gabriel’s affection.  It had the potential to be a precarious situation.

Turning back the array of anal plugs, he examined them.  It _was_ a sale—he might as well get two.  The one in his hand was pure silicone and a sky-blue color.  It proclaimed to be comfortable for extended wear, which Castiel was happy with.  He spotted another, metal one though, better for short term use and picked it up.  The stopper on the end was adorned with a bright green fake jewel that was exactly the color of Dean’s eyes.  Well, that was settled—he would purchase them both.

He held his selections to his chest and walked to the register cautiously.  He never came to this store with Gabe, no matter how many times his brother had begged him.  Cas was more in the habit of buying his specialty items at reputable online stores that shipped to your home in discretely marked packages.  He felt horribly awkward.

Gabriel was over by the clothing displays holding tall platform boots thoughtfully.  Cas really hoped that he wasn’t going to buy them.  He didn’t want the mental image of Sam Winchester wearing knee-high go-go boots.  He’d be about eight feet tall in those.  What the hell was Gabe even thinking?  Thankfully his brother set them back down and wandered over to him, his basket completely full.

“That’s it?” Gabe asked, looking at the two boxes in Castiel’s hands.

“I’m not buying anything else,” Cas told him.  He looked pointedly at Gabriel’s basket.  “Are you sure you have enough?”

“I might come by later in the week with Sam,” Gabe shrugged and put his items on the counter.  “Who knows, it could be fun?”

He caught a glimpse of some of the things Gabe had gathered and sighed.  “Glow-in-the-dark condoms?  Really?”

“You should try them sometime,” Gabe shot back.

The red-headed cashier looked at them and set her magazine down out of sight.  Her nametag said, ‘Josie,’ and she smiled at Gabriel as though she knew him.  “You got a new plaything, Mr. Novak?”

“More than just play, Jos,” he winked.

Great.  She _did_ know his brother.  He must come here often.  That made Cas feel slightly creepy.  “Congratulations,” she said to Gabriel.  “Are these together?”

“No,” Cas pulled his things toward him and stepped back.

“Come on, Cassie,” Gabe laughed taking the plugs out of his hand and dropping them onto his pile of goodies.  “Let me treat you and Dean.  Like a ‘Happy Sex’ gift.”  Cas protested, but Gabriel waved him off and had Josie ring everything up.

“Need anything gift-wrapped?” she asked.

“I have decorative bags at home,” Castiel told her, wishing this whole experience was over.  He caught Gabriel rolling his eyes at him.

Neither man blinked at the large total sum.  “You boys just made my day,” Josie said as she began bagging things into plain brown paper bags.  “We’ve been slow all week.”

“Oh, you little demon-woman,” Gabe laughed.  “You’re guilting me into coming back soon with my man, aren’t you?”

“Perhaps,” she grinned, handing over their purchases.  “You boys have a good day now,” she said as they left.

Outside, Gabriel hopped up into his giant vehicle and looked down at Castiel.  “Well, that was fun.  We should do it more often.”

“I’m never coming here with you again,” Cas insisted.

Waving his hand, Gabe said, “You’ll have to get Dean a Christmas gift somewhere.” 

Cas felt himself blush, which irritated him.  He thought about protesting that he would buy Dean something appropriate for the holidays, but he knew that Gabriel would ignore him.  “Are you spending the evening with Sam?”

“Yeah,” Gabriel rummaged around in the console between the front seats and came up with a bag of lemon drops.  He threw a few into his mouth and immediately crunched down on them.  “He invited me for dinner with Dean and his family tonight.”

“You’re going to Sheriff Mill’s?” Cas squinted.  His brother nodded, his mouth full of hard candies.  “Dean invited me as well,” he volunteered.

Gabe’s eyes softened.  “Hey, that’s a good thing,” he said.  “Maybe he’s coming around?”  Suddenly his brother looked slightly angry and put on his protective glare.  “He didn’t just invite you as a friend, did he?”

Castiel shook his head.  “No.  He wants me to meet the Sheriff and her girls…as, well, I’m not sure what exactly.  But not as just a friend.”

“See,” Gabe shook his index finger at Cas through the window.  “You got all worked up for nothing.  You have to relax sometimes and just see that it usually works out okay.  Be more like me.  When have I ever steered you wrong?”

“When you bullied me into placing a whoopee cushion on Lucifer’s chair for Thanksgiving dinner when I was twelve,” Cas glared at him.  Luci had been beyond pissed at both of them—thankfully, he’d taken his revenge only upon Gabe.

“No, that was a great idea,” Gabriel laughed.  He waved at Cas through the window and moved to pull out of the lot.  “See you tonight, bro,” he called.

Castiel walked back to his car, placing the bag on the seat next to him.  He stared out the windshield for a moment, thinking.  Tonight would be interesting, that was certain.  It seemed as though both of the Winchester brothers were going to take a big step in their lives tonight.  Cas just wanted to make sure he was there to support Dean, however the evening went.  He had a good feeling though.

* * *

Both of the Winchesters arrived home that morning around the same time and spent a little while drinking fresh coffee and catching up.  They had seen each other at The Pan-ty Dropper the night before, but they’d both been kind of involved with their own thing.  And Dean pointed out that Sam hadn’t slept in his own bed since Tuesday night.  He’d missed having Sammy around, especially when things had been going so rocky with Cas.

They talked mostly about Sam’s classes and the cars Dean had been working on that week, not really wanting details about each other’s sex lives.  Sam got up for a refill and turned around to face his brother.  “I wanted to run something by you,” he said.  “If you aren’t cool with it, then I’ll cancel, but…”

Dean frowned.  “Something wrong?”

Sam sat back down and twirled his coffee mug in his large palms.  “No,” he said.  “I just, sort of, invited Gabe to come to Jody’s with us tonight.”  He looked up at Dean expectantly.

Chuckling, Dean smiled.  “Yeah, I might have asked Cas to come too.”

“Really?” Sam brightened.  “You did?  Are you sure about this, Dean?”

“Why does everyone keep asking me that?” Dean grumbled.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Sam pretended to think, scratching his chin.  “Because you’ve avoided telling Jody why we moved back to town for almost a month?  Because you introduced Cas to Claire as your ‘friend’ on your first date—“

“How do you know about that?” Dean snapped.

“I usually study at the public library,” Sam said.  “I like it better than the one on campus.  Cas and I go to lunch together when I’m there.  We talk.”

“Shit,” Dean said.  “He told you about that?”

Sam nodded sadly.  “He was pretty upset about it.  Said he’d kind of been avoiding you too.”

“Yeah,” Dean rubbed his eyes.  “Fuck.  I didn’t mean for it to happen—I just reacted.”

“I know,” Sam sympathized.  “I tried to explain it to him but he didn’t seem to be paying attention.  I think he was working through some stuff on his own.”

“We hashed it out last night.  It’s all good now,” Dean told him.  “We were both kind of pricks about the whole thing.  I was a dick and he kind of blew it out of the water and shut down.  We’re okay now though.”

Sam nodded.  “I’m really glad you invited him.”  He took a sip of coffee.  “Hot!  Wait,” Sam looked up.  “You didn’t just invite him as a friend, did you?”

“Jesus, no,” Dean said.  “I invited him as a—dude.  A dude that I’m touching dicks with.  I don’t know what we are right now.”

“All right,” Sam said.  “Don’t say you’re touching each other’s dicks in front of Claire and Alex though.”

“I’m not a moron, Sammy,” Dean looked at him.

“Sometimes you are,” Sam pointed out.

“Bitch.”

“Jerk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name 'Pleasure Treasures' was borrowed from Janet Evanovich's 'Stephanie Plum' Series. Just to give credit where credit's due.
> 
> This was one of my fave chapters to write because--Gabriel in a sex shop!!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Winchesters come clean.  
> Holy crap--Gabe is an amazing cook!

The Impala slid to a stop in front of Castiel’s house right at five.  Since he lived closer to Jody’s, the Winchesters had swung by Gabriel’s place first and picked him up.  Dean had stared openly at the opulence of the neighborhood as they drove through.  When Gabe hopped into the backseat and let it slip that he had a fully set-up movie theatre in his basement, Dean had threatened to skip dinner and turn back.  He kept driving when Gabe promised he could come by anytime and check it out.

When they arrived at Cas,’ Dean actually got out and went to the front door.  Sam and Gabe smirked at each other over Dean’s actions.  Dean and Cas whispered something to one another as the librarian locked up and shared a quick kiss before getting back into the car.  “You two are adorable,” Gabe teased as they drove away.  “I may throw up in my mouth.”

“You can walk to dinner if you want,” Dean glared in the rearview mirror at the older Novak.  Everyone laughed.

Jody was wrapped in a thick blanket, sitting on a weathered Adirondack chair in front of her house when they arrived.  She waved at them as they walked up to the house.  They came up to the steps, staying close to the Novaks as Jody came to greet them.  She pulled Dean into a hug and then went to do the same to Sam before she noticed that he was grasping Gabriel’s hand.  Her eyes lit up and she her smile was huge.  “Something you want to tell me?” She asked, grabbing Sam and squeezing him tight.

He turned to Gabriel with a sort of dopey look and then back to Jody.  “This is Gabriel Novak.”

“I know,” Jody laughed, reaching out to shake his hand.  “Thank you for your generous contributions over the years.  I’m pretty sure your involvement is what keeps getting me re-elected and having a roof over my head.”

“Good to see you again Sheriff,” Gabe smiled.

“Call me Jody.”  She turned toward Dean and Castiel.  “And who is this?”

Dean was just staring, and obviously no help, so Cas stepped forward and shook Jody’s hand as well.  “I’m Gabriel’s brother, Castiel.”

Dean finally seemed to snap out of his trance and stepped up, winding his fingers through Cas’ free hand and looking nervous.  “Cas is my—well, he, um,” Dean stammered.

“We haven’t discussed it yet,” Castiel told her.  “But I would like to call you my boyfriend.  If that is agreeable to you Dean?”

Everyone held their breath and looked at Dean.  “That’ll do it,” he said snapping his fingers.  “Cas is my boyfriend.  I like guys.”

“Me too,” Jody said.  “Although variety can be good,” she winked.

“Ain’t that the truth,” Gabe said.  He turned to Sam.  “What’d’ya say, kiddo?  Cassie and Dean took the plunge—want to make it official?  You can be my boyfriend, if you want.”

Sam turned bright red and huffed a small laugh that sounded like relief.  It was sudden and unconventional, but it was completely Gabriel’s style.  “Yeah, Gabe.”  He smiled down at the other man.  “I’d like that.”

“Great,” Gabriel stretched up and kissed Sam, soft and quick.

“Okay,” Jody said, clapping her hands.  “I assume this is what you boys wanted to tell me when you called saying that you were bringing guests?”  The Winchesters nodded.  “Well get inside, it’s fucking freezing out here.  I have the girls making a salad.  Does everyone like fried chicken?”

“Jody, you shouldn’t have,” Sam chided as they entered the house.  The brothers knew that while Jody’s fried chicken was delicious, it made a hell of a mess and was annoying to prepare.

“Only the best for my boys,” she smiled, leading them all into the house.

In the kitchen, the girls were working on preparing the food and arguing with each other about a borrowed sweater.  They stopped when everyone walked inside.  Introductions were made once more with Alex and Claire, who reminded Dean that he was an idiot for hiding Cas from her in the first place.  He grumbled but gave her a hug. 

The girls bitched about having to slice vegetables for the salads, so Sam offered to take over.  Cas was put onto the task of opening the various wine bottles, while Dean set the table.  Jody moved to start coating the chicken, when Gabe stepped in, pushing her lightly toward the dining room.  “Please, allow me,” he said.  “Just get some of that wine from Cas and relax.”

“You’re the guests,” she reminded him.

“I’m actually kind of magic in the kitchen,” he told her.  Sam looked up curiously.  “I obviously have a lot of time on my hands and it’s soothing.  I even clean up after myself.”  He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Jody laughed and grabbed a wine glass.  “Well, I don’t need to be told twice.  It’s been a shit week too, so I’m out.  Let me know if you boys need anything.”

Dean popped back in to check on them, just as Gabriel was placing the first batch of chicken into the cast iron skillet.  He waved Dean away, sending both him and Cas to join Jody at the table.  “I didn’t know you could cook,” Sam looked up from slicing carrots.

“Inventing award-winning chocolate didn’t tip you off that I know my way around food?” Gabe eyed him.

“Honestly, no,” Sam said.  “I didn’t really think about it.”

“I’m in charge of Thanksgiving every year,” Gabe shrugged, watching the chicken closely.  “I think I might deep-fry the turkey this time around.  I hear it’s amazing.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Not if you know what you’re doing,” Gabe winked at him.  He used a tong to flip the chicken while Sam moved on to cutting up olives.  “I was wondering,” Gabe started.  “You know, since we’re all official boyfriends now…”  Sam stopped and looked up.  “Maybe you, Dean, Jody and the girls could join Cas and me for Thanksgiving this year?”  Gabe actually sounded hesitant.

“I’d love that,” Sam smiled and eased Gabriel’s mind.  The older man broke out into a huge smile.  He almost missed that the cooking chicken was ready because he was so intent on staring into Sam’s eyes. 

“My brother will be there,” Gabe informed him as he remedied his oversight and pulled the freshly fried chicken from the stove.  “Unfortunately.  But you’ll have to meet him sooner or later.”

“Lucifer or Michael?”

“Luci,” Gabe said.  “He always shows up.  Takes the entire week off of work, but he usually covers at the hospital over Christmas and New Year’s to compensate.”  Gabriel looked up at him seriously.  “I honestly hope that you _never_ have to meet Michael.”

“He’s really that bad?” Sam was quiet.

“I don’t like to speak ill of others, especially family,” Gabe said.  “But he probably should have been drowned at birth.”

Sam shot him a look.  “Shit, Gabe.”

“Yeah,” Gabriel threw in another round of chicken.  “You know how we’re all named for angels?”  Sam nodded.  “Well, my parents should honestly have switched Michael and Lucifer’s names.  I’m sure he came out of the hospital with glowing red eyes.  Sadistic fuck.”  Gabe poked at the chicken before continuing.  “Mikey, Luci and I are all named for archangels.  I guess my parents weren’t fond of the name Raphael, so Cas got stuck as the ‘Angel of Thursday.’  Pretty fitting since that’s the day he was born.  Good thing too, because Cassie doesn’t really seem like a ‘Raphael’ to me.”

They were interrupted by Alex coming into the kitchen.  “I’m supposed to see if you need any help.”

Gabe was just pulling the chicken out and placing it on a plate with the rest.  “I’m finished here,” he said.  “You can carry this in if you want.”

“Sure,” the dark-haired girl smiled and picked up the plate of hot food.

Sam sprinkled the olives over the large bowl of greenery and gave it a toss.  “Let’s go,” he said.

“Not so fast,” Gabe tugged on his sleeve.

“What?”

“I need a kiss,” Gabe grinned.  “I just cooked and some hot grease splashed on my arm.  I’m in pain and only you can make it better.”

“You’re weird,” Sam told him while leaning down to kiss his new boyfriend. 

He turned to go to the dining room with Gabe following him.  “You love it,” Gabriel said just as they entered, slapping Sam on the ass which made Dean choke on his drink.  Claire and Alex giggled at them as they sat down.

“That was gross,” Dean told Gabe as they all started to fill their plates.

“Watch it, or Cas will do it to you,” Gabe laughed.  Both Dean and Castiel flushed and looked away from one another.

“Young ears are present,” Jody chuckled as she warned them.

“I’m an adult,” Claire told her.

“You’re twelve,” Dean shot back.

“Seventeen.”

“Which is still under the legal voting age,” Jody stepped in.

“Not like it’s new to me,” Claire said lightly, picking up some chicken with her fork.  “I heard plenty of ass-slapping coming from Alex’s room last week.”  She shot her foster sister a side-eye.

All five of the adults at the table froze with their utensils halfway to their mouths.  “Shut.  Up.” Alex hissed.

“Don’t worry, he won’t be back,” Claire laughed spooning some mashed potatoes into her mouth.

“Because you tackled him,” Alex yelled.

“Oh, shit,” Gabe whispered to Sam.

“Alex?  Claire?” Jody was staring at them sternly.  “What is going on?”

“She’s making things up because she’s pissed that I borrowed her favorite sweater last week,” Alex huffed.

“And ripped a hole in it,” Claire muttered.

The four men picked up their wine glasses and busied themselves with drinking as much as they could in one gulp.  “Alex, did you have a boy over?” Jody asked pointedly.  The girl mumbled something and poked at her food.  “I thought we agreed on no visitors while you were grounded?”

“He climbed out of the window at two in the morning,” Claire said helpfully.  Alex glared at her.

Jody turned toward her blonde daughter.  “And apparently you tackled him?”

“I thought he was a burglar,” Claire shrugged.

“Oh my god,” Sam mouthed to Dean.  Next to him Gabe was shaking in silent laughter.

“These are great potatoes, Jody,” Dean piped up.

Alex turned to Claire and moaned, “You’re a douche.”

“Stop stealing my stuff.”

“Girls!” Jody said loudly, causing everyone to jump.  “I’m sorry,” she looked to Castiel and Gabe.  “It’s not usually like this.”  She pointed her fork at both teens.  “Eat.  We will talk about this…later.”

There was silence as everyone dug into their food, trying to pretend the last few minutes hadn’t happened.  “Thank you for having us over, Ms. Mills,” Cas said finally.

“You can call me Jody,” she reminded him.  “But you’re welcome.”

“Jesus, Gabe,” Dean said around his food.  “This chicken is amazing.”

“I have to agree,” Jody added.  “You get it much crispier than I do.”

“The secret is to get everything really _hot_ ,” Gabriel glanced at Sam.  “Before you start making the magic happen.”  He laughed lightly when Sam’s knees hit the table as he ran his finger along the taller man’s thigh.

“Good chicken,” Sam managed.

“You okay there, Sammy?” Dean asked.  His brother nodded, but his face was bright red and he was looking pointedly at his plate, but not eating.

“Gabriel,” Cas said darkly.  “Stop frightening Sam.”

“I’m fine,” Sam gritted his teeth at the same time Gabriel raised both palms innocently and said, “What?”  Jody snorted into her wine and Dean muttered, “Ew.”

“Did he touch your dick under the table, Sam?” Claire asked in a funny voice, trying not to laugh.  Sam’s eyes bugged and he sputtered incoherently.

“Okay!” Jody said.  “That’s enough out of you,” she pointed at Claire.  “Hands where we can see them, Mr. Novak,” she laughed at Gabe.

The rest of the meal was less eventful, with Jody quizzing the men on where and how they had all met.  Even Alex seemed to snap out of her surly mood long enough to exclaim happily when Sam revealed that Gabe had a pool and a hot tub in his backyard.

After they had all said their ‘thank you’s’ and ‘goodbyes,’ and climbed into the Impala, promising to visit again, Gabe said.  “That could have gone worse.”

“It could have gone better,” Cas grumbled to him.  “I can’t believe you felt up Sam while we were eating.”

“Yeah, that was nasty,” Dean agreed.

In the passenger seat, Sam murmured, “I didn’t mind.”

“See,” Gabe leaned forward and gave a gripping massage to Sam’s broad shoulders.  “The kid’s adventurous, and he’s fine.”

They pulled up to Gabriel’s house and he and Sam got out.  Dean rolled down the passenger window as Cas got out as well, trading seats for the front.  Pointing his finger at Gabe, in a mock-threatening tone, Dean said, “Don’t touch my brother, Novak.”

“I can’t promise that Dean,” Gabriel laughed, slinging his arm around Sam’s waist and leading the taller man inside.

“I’m sorry about my brother,” Castiel said as he buckled in.

Dean pulled out and began to leave the neighborhood.  “Nah, I actually don’t care,” Dean said.  “It was kind of funny.  Did you see how red Sammy’s face was?  Shit.”

They both chuckled at the memory.  “Come home with me?” Cas asked after a few streets.  “Stay.”

“I was kind of planning on it,” Dean said.  “I may have packed at bag.  It’s in the trunk.”

“Good,” Cas smiled.  “I have a present for you.”

Dean liked presents.  He hardly got them, and anything Cas gave him was bound to be awesome.  They locked hands and the speedometer climbed as Dean sped up through the streets of town on their way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As American Thanksgiving is tomorrow--if you are considering deep frying your turkey PLEASE research it!! If it's frozen or wet in any way there will be fire, and a lot of it. Bad fire. Just be safe and smart kiddos...


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam & Gabe are adorable.  
> Cas & Dean are NSFW--Sex Toy Play

“You’re not mad about what I did at dinner, are you?” Gabe asked as they brushed their teeth.  Sam had wanted to change out of his starchy dress shirt as soon as they hit the door, so they both decided to just prepare for bed.

“God, no,” Sam said.  He watched Gabe in the mirror closely.  “I just didn’t expect it and it was kind of weird to be sitting at the table of the woman who raised me through high school with a boner.  I felt like I was sixteen again and couldn’t control myself.  It was just…odd.”

“So you’re not mad?” Gabe looked serious.

“No,” Sam promised.  They rinsed their mouths and Sam grabbed Gabe, spinning him into an embrace.  “I’m not mad.  Don’t get all weird on me just because my brother was creeped out.”

“I don’t give a shit what Dean thinks, I’m just worried about you,” Gabe said seriously.  “I’ve been told I can be a little much.”

“I’m cool with it,” Sam said.

“All right,” Gabe shrugged it off as though he didn’t have a care in the world.

Sam watched him move into the bedroom with a smile.  Moments later, the gas fireplace flickered on, bathing the room in a sensual light.  He followed, joining Gabriel on the bed.  He worried his bottom lip as he lay down, relaxing into the fluffy pillows.  “You didn’t ask me to be your boyfriend just because Dean and Cas decided to go that way on the spot, did you?”

Gabe shot him a look and punched the pillow underneath him.  “No.”

“I know you’re not, you know,” Sam shrugged trying to keep things light.  “ _Into_ relationships.”  Gabe glared at him for a moment.  “Cas told me.”

“Cassie needs to keep his fucking mouth shut sometimes,” Gabe flopped around before settling on his side facing Sam.

“I just don’t want you to feel forced or anything,” Sam said.  “I’m fine if we’re just casual.” _Lie._ “This is new.  So, no pressure.”  More lies.

Gabriel was staring at him.  “Samuel,” he said.  He _never_ used Sam’s full name—ever.  It was always, ‘Sam’ or ‘Sammy;’ usually ‘kiddo,’ or some random insult relating to Sam’s height—never Samuel.  “Please look at me.”  Yeah, Sam didn’t like the ‘please’ either.

He didn’t want to hear it.  He didn’t want to hear Gabriel Novak say the actual words that he’d made a mistake and that Sam was just an easy lay.  Somewhere inside of him, he knew he was being irrational, but he was freaking out.  “It’s cool, Gabe,” Sam tried to roll over and place his back to Gabriel.

“Jesus—fuck,” Gabe snapped.  He grabbed Sam’s arm—not hard—but enough to force the larger man to turn over and face him.  “You are freaking out right now.”

“No,” Sam pouted.  He was.

“Sammich?” Gabriel stuck out his lower lip.  “Samshine?”  Sam slowly raised his eyes.  “My gorgeous fucking Goliath.”  Sam snorted at that, it was a new one.  “Hey, kiddo,” Gabe chucked his fingers under Sam’s chin.  “I wouldn’t have said anything, if it wasn’t what I wanted.”

“You sure?” Sam’s voice was small, which he hated.  He had always been strong—in control—and three weeks with this man had him acting like a twelve-year old with their first crush.

“I’m not kidding” Gabe said, kissing his forehead.  “Just forget what my weird brother said to you and listen to me.  I want this.  I want _you._ And I don’t see that changing in the near future.”

Nodding, Sam managed a small smile.  “I’m okay with that…for now,” he warned.

“Hey, if you hear the wedding bells chime, don’t fucking do anything,” Gabe teased.  “I like to be in control usually—so I’ll handle all that bullshit.”

“Jesus, Gabe, that’s not what I meant,” Sam laughed.  Ugh, he was such a _liar._

“I know, kiddo,” Gabe kissed him again and burrowed into his pillow.  “I totally meant to seduce you when we got home,” he said absently.  “But I’m really fucking tired.  You mind if we just cuddle and go to sleep?  I promise to get you off in the shower when we wake up.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Sam said softly.  “I’m here for more than sex.”

“So am I,” Gabe smiled.  “But I do enjoy having sex with you—so that isn’t going to stop.”

Sam was laughing as Gabe pulled him closer and they snuggled together under the covers.  They kissed lightly for a while, careful not to take it too far, since they were both exhausted.  Eventually both men drifted off into a peaceful sleep.  Sam would never admit to anyone that he dreamed of Gabriel down on one knee with a ring that night.  It was so fast and therefore, possibly creepy.  That dream, could be his secret.

* * *

Sitting in Castiel’s room on the edge of the bed with a Christmas themed gift bag in between them was awkward, to say the least.  “I told you, Cas,” Dean said.  “You don’t have to keep giving me things to apologize.”

“This has nothing to do with an apology,” Cas told him.  “I thought we had moved past that.”

“It was last night,” Dean said slowly. “But yeah, we have—I have.”

“Good,” Cas pushed the holiday bag toward him.  “I bought this for you, hoping that we could possibly begin to explore this relationship between us.  Especially in light of the fact that you introduced me to your foster mother as your ‘boyfriend.’” 

Dean bit his lip, because Cas actually used air-quotes.  Fuck—that was really cute.  He picked up the gift bag and stuck his hand inside, feeling around.  “It’s not Christmas yet,” he pointed out.

“It was all I had,” Cas said.

He could feel a box inside and pulled it out, flipping it over to examine it.  It was a sex toy.  An anal plug to be specific.  Dean knew that his mouth was open, but no words were coming out.  Finally he said, “Gabe was right.  You’re kind of weird, Cas.”

His new ‘boyfriend’ flushed and looked down at his hands.  “If it’s too much…”

“No,” Dean said quickly.  “Just unexpected.”  He turned the box over in his hands and really looked at it.  It was obviously plastic and there was lot of words about ‘long-term wear’ and other shit that Dean really didn’t care too much about.  Decisively, he ripped open the packaging and removed the toy.  It was firm in his hands, but it did have a slight squishiness to it for some give.  He could feel Cas watching him.

“So,” he said as casually as possible.  “This goes up my ass?” 

Cas nodded.  “Ideally for a period of time so you can adjust to its girth.”

“Okay,” Dean tossed it from hand to hand and winked at Cas.  “So, you gonna put it in me, or what?”

“Dean,” Cas’ voice was grave.  “I’m not going to just shove it up into you like a barbarian.”

“That could be fun,” Dean wiggled his eyebrows.

“It could hurt you,” Cas chastised, reaching for the toy.  Dean let him take it and watched as Castiel rolled it around in his hands.  “I had hoped that we could experiment with it tonight and see where you were at in the morning.”

“You don’t want to have sex?” Dean was confused.  He’d introduced Cas to Jody.  He’d announced that they were boyfriends—dating—whatever.  He didn’t know what else he had to do to show Castiel how much he wanted him.

“Not _really,_ ” Cas said, making Dean slump.  “Forgive me,” Cas placed a hand on Dean’s shoulder.  “I _do_ want to have sex with you,” he amended.  “But not tonight.  Not _exactly._ ”

“Okay?” Dean watched Cas’ face.  They didn’t move or speak for what felt like an age.  Finally Dean said, “Lay it on me, man.  What _exactly_ do you want to do?”  He could feel waves of stress rolling off of his boyfriend and he didn’t like it.  “Cas?” he prodded.  “I’m not gonna bite—unless you’re into that.”

It loosened the mood enough for Cas to smile.  “I would very much like to prepare you and place this toy inside of you for the night.”

“Like, _all_ night?” Dean raised a brow.  “You want to me sleep with that thing up my ass?”

“To see if it’s something you could enjoy, yes.”

Dean licked his lips.  The toy was sizeable, but not terribly.  And it was squishy, so that was good.  But he was pretty sure he was going to have a shitty night of sleep if he had that thing up inside of him.  “Compromise?” he looked Cas in the eye.  The other man nodded.  “How about we try it, and we set the alarm for two hours from now and take it out then?”

Cas didn’t even seem to think.  “That’s acceptable.  Thank you, Dean.”

“Don’t mention it.”  He clapped his hands together and stood up. “So I should just get naked then, huh?”

“No.” Castiel stood up abruptly and joined him, placing his hands on the collar of Dean’s leather jacket.  “I’m going to undress you.”

Dean liked the sound of that.  He smiled and waited, while Cas slowly slid Dean’s coat off and tossed onto a chair in the corner of the room.  Cas took his time, removing articles of Dean’s clothing with painstaking care.  Once Dean was undressed, he stood in front of his boyfriend with a smug smile on his face.  “Like what you see?”

“You know I do,” Cas told him.  “Lie back on the bed.”

“No way, man,” Dean shook his head.  “I wanna see what you’ve got too.”

Cas grabbed the knot of his tie and loosened it harshly.  He didn’t take his eyes off of Dean as he stripped, and it was insanely hot.  Cas had taken his time with Dean, moving hands over flesh, teasing.  But he was naked in a matter of moments.  “No fair,” Dean protested.  “You got a show, I got a quick-change.”

“What can I say, I’m impatient,” Cas said gruffly.

He held Dean’s arms and kissed him hard, both of them moaning at the contact.  Cas gave a small push and managed to get Dean positioned, seated on the bed.  He guided the younger man down slowly, their hands feathering over each other.  They kissed languidly until Cas moved, placing his palms on Dean’s muscular thighs and pushing them gently apart.  “You’re very beautiful, Dean.”

Dean’s face heated at the compliment.  He wasn’t used to being called ‘beautiful.’  Hot, sexy, smokin’ fine, sure.  But beautiful was different—it felt good to hear Cas say it.  He could see lube glistening on Cas’ fingers and he wondered when his boyfriend had done that.  Obviously he needed to get out of his own head and focus on the moment.

Cas ran his slicked up finger down the crack of Dean’s ass.  It was cold, but it felt nice.  Dean sucked in a breath and waited, feeling Cas pushing at his puckered hole.  He could hear Cas murmuring at him to relax and he tried, but he was so keyed up.  _Finally_ , Cas was touching him, entering him.  He let out a soft breath and his eye twitched.  “Dean?”

“I’m good,” he promised.  “Really.”

“I can stop any time,” Cas told him, but Dean knew that while Cas might have that kind of self-control, _he_ certainly didn’t.

“Don’t you fucking dare.”

He felt the finger move inside of him, building pressure.  The pad of Cas’ digit slid across _something_ and Dean bucked off of the bed, almost screaming.  “Fuck!”  That felt amazing.  More intense and exhilarating than anything previously.  “Holy—“  The single finger was pure torture.  Dean wanted more and now!  He moved his hips, asking, pleading.  When Cas obliged, adding a second, Dean licked his lips and sighed.

Cas played and teased, sliding into him and Dean came apart.  He had spent so many years denying his attraction to men and now he was regretting all of that wasted time.  He could have been feeling this good for a long while.  He was an idiot.  He felt the nudge of a third finger and he breathed out heavily, relaxing into the slight burn.

It felt as though time had stopped and that everything around him was moving in slow motion as Castiel pressed into that spot once more.  Dean whined pathetically and twisted himself down.  “Patience,” Cas counselled.

“More, angel,” Dean begged.

He grunted and moved unconsciously as Cas gently worked him open.  He gradually began to realize that Cas’ hand just wasn’t enough and he started to paw at his boyfriend’s arm weakly.  Dean lifted his head where it was lolling on the bed when Cas removed his fingers.  That was _not_ what Dean wanted.  “What the fuck, Cas?”

His boyfriend smiled down at him with something affectionate in his blue eyes.  “Trust me.”

Dean shifted, propping himself up to watch what Cas was doing.  He had picked up the plug and was coating it liberally with lubrication.  The soft plastic shone in the light of the room and Dean licked his lips, silently pleading for what was coming.  Unfortunately, Cas was taking his sweet fucking time slicking up the toy.  Dean felt a needy whine rise in his throat.  “Hurry.”

Cas chuckled softly as he moved back between Dean’s open legs.  Dean could see his boyfriend’s thick cock, throbbing, standing straight and pressing into Cas’ abdomen.  He couldn’t _wait_ to feel that—but he knew that this was going to rock his world as well.

The toy was relatively slim according to both Cas and the packaging, but to Dean it looked like a fucking beer can.  Thick and grooved with a rounded taper at the end.  He moved his hips, trying to force the tension from his limbs.  That was going to be stuffed up inside of him in a minute, plugging him, stretching him, and Dean couldn’t wait.

Lightly pressing the toy at Dean’s entrance, Cas rubbed it along his pink hole, spreading a generous amount of lube around the area.  He felt the strength leave his ankles and his legs fell open even further in invitation.  Castiel pushed, moving the plug past the constricted muscle that held Dean closed.  The toy was so much more than simple fingers and Dean hissed in his breath as Cas carefully breached him.

The _feeling_ —the fucking feeling of being so full was awe-inspiring for Dean.  He fisted his hands into the comforter and let out a long, filthy moan.  Cas kept moving the plug further in, forcing Dean to relax around the incredible intrusion.  It was almost agonizing as the time stretched and Dean huffed through the multitude of sensations wracking his body.  “Cas,” he cried as the toy bottomed out inside of him.

He could feel the rim resting around his hole, keeping it snug and safely in place.  He felt complete and sated, the tip of the plug lightly resting against the edge of his prostate.  It was torturous and wonderful.  Dean clenched his muscles around it, testing, hoping that he would feel that bright burst of pleasure once more—he wasn’t disappointed.  With a loud groan, he wriggled his hips, willing to have more intimate contact.  Through his lashes, he could see Cas staring down at him, smiling fully.

He writhed alone on the bed, reaching for Cas, but his boyfriend seemed mesmerized by the vision in front of him.  Cas pressed lightly on the flange that was keeping the toy locked inside of him.  It sent a jolt up Dean’s back and his eyes flew open with a gasp.  Castiel moved like lightening, crawling over him and pinning Dean down to the bed, kissing him wetly.  He opened his mouth, sliding his tongue between Cas’ lips, but honestly, he was more focused on the thick piece of plastic shoved up his asshole.

Cas was gently gripping Dean’s hands, trying to hold his lover still, but Dean couldn’t stop moving.  It was agony, this feeling of fullness.  It felt so good, but it was still an illusion.  Now that he’d had a little taste of what it could be, Dean wanted a real, warm cock.  His boyfriend moved his lips down Dean’s cheeks and neck, peppering him with adoration.  Slowly, Dean began to adjust and relax into the feeling of Cas holding him tenderly.

It was as if Castiel was pressing a kiss to each freckle along Dean’s body, worshipping the man.  It was soothing and actually kind of romantic.  Dean was shocked to find that he liked it, despite his past mocking at love.  _Love?_ Dean’s eyes enlarged at the thought, flying open.  Why the fuck had he thought that?  It was too much, too quickly, and besides that, Dean Winchester didn’t do _feelings_ —especially not that one.

“You’re so perfect, Dean,” Cas’ breath was in his ear.  “So eager and gorgeous.  I’m beyond pleased with you.”

Cas covered him with more attention, grazing his lips along Dean’s body.  Eventually, Dean stopped squirming beneath him, relaxing fully into Cas’ embrace.  Cas captured his lips once more, sweetly, and released Dean’s hands.  He was finally still, but he was shivering ever so slightly.  Cas frowned and stirred to help Dean move up fully onto the bed.  He lay his head onto a large, soft pillow, sinking into it.  Cas was at his side now and pulling the covers over their nude bodies.

Dean’s breathing began to return to normal as the other man nestled against his side, wrapping his muscular arms around Dean’s waist.  Cas’ nose was resting in the crook of Dean’s neck and he could feel light breaths against his heated skin.  The plug shifted inside of him and Dean tried not to pant.  Fuck—that felt _so_ good.  He knew though, that if he kept concentrating on it, then he would never relax.

Cas’ chest was rising steadily and Dean could tell that the other man had drifted off.  Forcing his mind away from the toy filling his ass, Dean closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh.  To his surprise, he followed Castiel into slumber in a matter of minutes.

When the alarm on Cas’ phone blared two hours later, Dean barely moved.  He was now curled onto his side with his leg swung up over his boyfriend.  He could feel Cas grumbling and shifting next to him as he shut off the offending sound.  Dean didn’t want to move.  His current position made the toy nudge him pleasantly, but not enough to break him completely from his dreams.

“Dean,” Cas whispered, sitting up.  “Are you awake?”

“Barely,” he shoved his face into the pillow and kept his eyes closed.  He could feel Cas’s hand on his butt cheeks, gently pulling them apart.  “Mmmm,” he hummed.  Castiel’s lithe fingers gripped the toy and began to slowly ease it out of Dean’s hole.  That woke him up abruptly and he keened.

Cas set the toy aside and stroked along Dean’s entrance.  He could tell that it was gaping slightly and the feeling was foreign and disconcerting.  He felt empty, not just physically, but mentally as well.  One finger pushed into him carefully, prodding the area in exploration.  Dean shoved his hips down onto the touch, engulfing Cas within him.  “You’re so open for me,” Cas said reverently.

At the tone in his voice, Dean turned to look at his boyfriend.  He was worrying his lip, toying with Dean’s channel.  It was only seconds before Cas removed his hand and lay back down next to Dean on the bed.  Unconsciously, Dean clenched around nothing.  He made a small noise in the back of his throat and pushed his nose underneath Cas’ chin, trying to get closer to the other man.

“How are you feeling?” Cas’ tone was soft.

“Amazing,” Dean said.  “Sore though.”

“I figured,” Castiel sighed.  “I’m so proud of you.  Thank you for this.”  Cas’ fingers ran through Dean’s hair.  He felt a light kiss to the top of his head and squeezed his arms around his boyfriend.  “Go to sleep, Dean.”

Dean’s eyes slid shut.  He missed the feeling of the plug already, but he was so drained.  He slipped into sleep quickly, surrounded by the warmth of Castiel’s firm body.  He wasn’t quite sure where this journey would take him, but he was happy to be along for the ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay kiddos--lace up your boots because it is about to get wet in here!! I wanted to post the Thanksgiving chapter tomorrow for American Thanksgiving--HOWEVER, I realized that its like five chapters away...sooooooo because I am a complete psychopath, I'll be posting five times during the day tomorrow to hopefully distract everyone from family bullshit. Just be prepared for lots of updates.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam has an issue.  
> Dean jumps to conclusions.
> 
> Also Spoilers for Scream (1997)

The days sped by as the weather got worse.  The first snow hit the week before Halloween and Sam got an unexpected day off from his classes.  He and Gabe didn’t leave the bedroom until dinnertime.  Cas brought home bags of candy for trick-or-treaters one night; but had to replenish his stash when his brother stopped by and Dean and Gabriel ate two bags of Butterfingers in one sitting.

It got to the point, where neither of the Winchesters could recall the last time they had spent the night in their own beds.  Dean made a routine of working at Bobby’s and spending every spare moment with Castiel.  As for Sam, he threw himself into his studies with gusto as midterms approached.  At night, over some sort of gourmet meal that he’d cooked, Gabe would quiz him with homemade flash cards.

Dean kept pushing Cas for more, but the older man was reluctant to have actual intercourse just yet, much to Dean’s dismay.  Sam and Gabe were hot and heavy and couldn’t keep their hands off of each other, also to Dean’s alarm.  Every once in a while, Cas would slip up and reveal something about Gabriel’s past.  Dean liked the guy just fine, but he wasn’t sure that he was good for Sam due to his sporadic romantic history.  Sam seemed happy for the time being, so Dean kept his mouth shut around the other couple.

Three days before Halloween, which they had all decided to spend celebrating at Castiel’s house, due to lack of trick-or-treaters at either of the other two addresses, Sam met Cas for lunch.  He arrived at the library a little early and took the opportunity to return some books and find a few more to keep him occupied when he had some down-time.

As Hael checked out his selections, he made small-talk with her about her plans for the upcoming holiday.  “Oh, I’m just going to stay at home,” she replied.  “I was supposed to go to a friend’s house for a costume party, but I’m not feeling too social this year.  Maybe a bottle of wine, handing out some candy and a ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ marathon?” She smiled at Sam.  “What about you?”

“My brother and I are going to hand out candy at Cas’ place,” he told her.  “Pretty sure costumes aren’t required though, so that’s a relief.”

“Not a fan of dressing up?”

“Not really,” Sam smiled.  “And costumes are pricey these days.  I’d rather save my money for something I’ll really enjoy.”  _‘Like a car,’_ he thought.  When they arrived in town in late September, they’d driven Dean’s Baby from Kansas.  Unfortunately, even a used clunker wasn’t really in Sam’s budget at the moment.  Gabe kept telling him to just pick one of his, but the thought made Sam a little uneasy.  He didn’t want to feel like he was being bought.

He liked Gabriel a lot.  When his mind wandered, he’d even thought about the word ‘love,’ but that freaked him out a little as well.  He’d firmly put the night at the bar where the word had slipped out behind him.  Neither he, nor Gabe, had brought it up again. 

Mostly, Sam was finding that he was uncomfortable with his own financial status, compared to that of his boyfriend.  It was just that Sam wasn’t used to a disposable income, much less one of Gabriel’s caliber, and it bothered him, just a little bit.  Gabe could be pushy, but he wasn’t a douchebag.  When they went out to eat, Sam always insisted on paying for himself.  He knew that Gabe didn’t like it, but he went along with it anyway for Sam.

Certain of Gabriel’s affection for him, Sam knew that the other man considered them equals, even if Sam didn’t.  For the past week, he’d fallen asleep at night, wondering when the other shoe was going to drop.  He obsessed about what he would do when one day, Gabriel Novak would wake up, and realize that Sam wasn’t good enough for him.  It was stressing him out, and he really didn’t need that with his exams on the way.

Cas stepped out of his office, pulling on his trench coat and Sam waved to him.  He said goodbye to Hael and joined his friend at the door.  They made small-talk as they walked down the road to Donna’s which had become a frequent hangout for their lunches.  They both ordered chicken salad croissants with large deli pickles on the side and found a clean table in the corner.

“How are your classes?” Cas asked, placing a napkin on his lap.

Sam nodded absently.  “Fine.”  He looked around the café for a moment before clearing his throat.  “Hey, Cas?  Can I talk to you about something?”

“Of course.”

“You can’t tell Gabe,” Sam said and immediately felt guilty.

Castiel looked at him strangely.  “All right,” he finally agreed, even though Sam could tell he didn’t want to.

He leaned forward to finally get all of these maddening thoughts off of his chest when he was distracted by the bell on the café door.  Jody walked in, in full uniform and went straight to the counter.  Sam watched her and waved, but she didn’t see him.  Jody took off her wide-brimmed hat and tucked it under her arm.  She was smiling at Donna behind the counter and shuffling her feet.

Whatever Jody said to the blonde woman made Donna’s face heat with red and duck her eyes toward the floor.  That was pretty odd.  Jody stepped around the counter and gave Donna a quick hug before turning and almost running out of the building.  Sam tried to catch her eye again, to no avail.  He blinked at Cas who was watching him and saying, “Sam.”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t enjoy keeping things from my brother, as I’m sure you understand,” Cas said, finally getting Sam’s attention.  “I would appreciate if you could just tell me what this is about so I don’t keep jumping to conclusions.”

“It’s not bad,” Sam broke in.  “I mean, yeah, it could be, but—“

“Are you planning on leaving my brother?”

“What?” Sam was honestly surprised.  “No!  No way!” 

Cas seemed to relax at that.  “I’m glad,” he said.  “I was concerned that you planned to break up with him and I would have to conceal it, which would be impossible for me.”

“No, Cas, it’s not that,” Sam said.  Donna came over, still blushing, and placed their sandwiches in front of them.  Sam picked up his pickle and crunched into it.  “Look, Gabe told me about you two.”  Cas raised an eyebrow.  “You know, about the chocolate empire and how much money you’re both worth.”

“Oh.  That.”  Cas poked at his sandwich as if it had offended him.

“I just,” Sam didn’t know how to say it without Cas taking it wrong.  “Dean and I never really had much growing up.  Well, _ever_ , if I’m being honest.  Our dad wasn’t around, and Dean took care of me.  When we finally met up with Jody, she’s living on a cop’s salary, and it wasn’t like she could take us to Disney World or anything.”

Cas nodded, listening.  “But you and Gabe—you have more money than you know what to do with,” Sam said, flinching at how it sounded.  Cas didn’t seem to react though, so he pressed on.  “It’s just weird for me I guess.  I can hold my own when we go to The Pan-ty Dropper because the drinks are cheap and I know Balthazar gives us a discount.  But when Gabe wants to try a new restaurant or something, I’m struggling with it.”

“You know he would be happy to pay for you,” Cas pointed out, not quite grasping what Sam was saying.

“I know,” Sam sighed.  “But I don’t want that.  I don’t want to be some kept boy that keeps your brother’s bed warm until he realizes what a failure I am.”

“Sam,” Cas was stunned.  He placed his sandwich down and stared hard at his friend.  “You are _not_ a failure.”

“Well I feel like one.”

“So does your brother,” Cas admitted.  Sam glanced up at him in surprise.  “He doesn’t say it, but I have the feeling that he thinks he isn’t educated enough for me.  Sometimes he makes comments about my books or my job.  It isn’t directed at me, it’s more of a way to make a dig at himself.”

“Yup, that’s Dean,” Sam said.

“I can’t speak for my brother, but Gabriel doesn’t think of you as just a ‘bed warmer,’” he used air quotes, which drew a small smile from Sam.  “I can see that he cares very deeply for you, just as I do for _your_ brother.”  Cas looked at him affectionately.  “He doesn’t see you as a burden or a failure, or whatever other horrible things you Winchesters seem to think about yourselves.  Just,” Cas shrugged.  “Talk to him?  Tell him you’re uncomfortable spending lots of money on going out all the time.  I’m sure he would be more than happy to stay at home with you.”

Sam’s cheeks pinked and he nodded.  Yeah, Gabe would certainly find things to keep them occupied in his house.  And it would be mostly lewd.  They’d traded hand jobs in the shower that Sunday, and Sam knew that if he suggested a rematch that Gabe would have the hot water on before Sam even got home from school. 

“Thanks, Cas,” he said.  “I’m sorry to dump this on you but I didn’t know who else to talk to.  I can’t talk to Dean because he doesn’t know.  I mean, he suspects about Gabe, of course.  But I know how private you are, and I wouldn’t want to accidentally let it slip that you’re a fucking millionaire as well.”

“I appreciate your discretion,” Cas said.  “I will tell him, probably soon.  I just worry now that he will have some of the same doubts and confusions that you do.”

“I don’t know,” Sam joked.  “He might like the idea of a Sugar Daddy.”  _That_ made Cas blush.

* * *

On the 30th of October, the four of them met up at The Pan-ty Dropper simply to keep Balthazar from hounding them about attending the bar’s costume party.  They were greeted at the door by Benny, whose voice was muffled by the plastic vampire fangs in his mouth.  Even Meg had attempted to get into the spirit with a pair of bright red devil’s horns tucked into her hair.

Sam, Dean, and Castiel all showed up in their normal attire.  Gabriel walked through the door in a revealing glittery white tunic, a halo made out of pipe-cleaners, and large feathery golden wings strapped to his shoulders like a backpack.  Dean and Cas tried to pretend they didn’t know him for at least fifteen minutes.

They danced and drank and Dean even sang ‘Back in Black’ with the karaoke machine after three shots in a row.  Balthazar swung by their table with complimentary themed cocktails wearing a short, white, pleather nurse’s dress which was somewhat disconcerting.  When they finally called it a night, Cas was supporting Dean bodily; and Gabe had climbed onto Sam’s back and promptly fallen asleep, drooling on the younger man’s shoulder.

The next evening, Halloween, after all the hangovers had finally dissipated, they met at Castiel’s to hand out candy to costumed kids knocking on doors.  Cas made Gabe change out of his angel costume, which he had laundered and brought with him, because it would ‘traumatize the children.’  Gabriel griped and moaned about his brother having a stick up his ass, but he complied.  Sort of.  He returned in normal clothing but with a large pointed witches’ hat sitting on his golden head.  Sam laughed heartily at his boyfriend.  They all grabbed some mugs of spiked apple cider and took seats on the front porch waiting for people to arrive.

They chatted and joked, occasionally someone would offer to refill everyone’s mugs, and the night passed quickly.  Dean and Gabe exclaimed over the costumes, especially one young boy dressed up as Darth Vader, complete with plastic lightsaber.  At one point, Gabe threw out that they should all head to Vegas or Hawaii in the New Year, which made Sam shift in his seat and quickly change the subject.  Dean didn’t know what that was about, but he saw Cas pat his brother’s knee and give him a knowing look.  Weird.

When the trick-or-treaters tapered off, they went back inside and settled in the living room.  Cas had to shoo his cat off of the furniture, much to the feline’s displeasure, so that there were enough seats for everyone.  Dean rolled his eyes when Gabriel climbed up into Sam’s lap on the loveseat, but his brother smiled and gave the other man a kiss.  Castiel suggested that they watch, ‘Psycho,’ since it was considered a cinematic achievement, but he was out-voted by the others.  Dean claimed it wasn’t scary enough, and he was backed by Gabe, who chose the original ‘Scream.’  Nineties nostalgia seemed to satisfy everyone and they settled down with their respective partners and large bowls of buttery popcorn.

Castiel kept commenting that the special effects weren’t very realistic and got a chorus of groans when he guessed correctly at the ending, despite never having watched the movie.  Half-way through, Sam and Gabe were rather preoccupied with each other, which Dean tried to ignore.  He kept announcing that this movie wasn’t all that scary either, but when the Cameraman’s body slid off of the roof of the van, he jumped and grabbed Cas’ hand tightly.  Castiel took the opportunity to rub his thumb over Dean’s knuckles and whisper a distracting commentary about what he had planned for later.

Eventually Gabriel was lifted bodily from Sam’s lap, the tall Winchester tossing his boyfriend over his shoulder like a caveman and hurrying out to their car.  “We have to go home,” Sam called over his shoulder as they rushed away, Gabriel cracking up at the look on Dean and his brother’s faces.

Cas locked up for the night while Dean shut down the television and turned off various lights.  He was eager for Cas to follow through with some of his earlier suggestions.  He waited in Cas’ room, but his boyfriend seemed to be dawdling.  After a few minutes, Dean started pulling off his clothes and threatening to start alone.  “You promised to put your tongue to good use, Mr. Novak,” Dean called out, throwing his shirt onto a chair in a crumpled ball.

“I said those things to distract you from the fact that you were squeezing my hand in fear,” Cas said from behind him.  Dean whirled and spotted his lover leaning on the door frame, his arms crossed, watching him intently.

“No follow through?” Dean questioned.  “You’re an ass.”

“I intend to do all of those things to you,” Cas moved toward him fluidly.  “However, I wish to discuss something first.”

To Dean, that sounded a lot like, ‘We Need To Talk,’ and he never liked hearing those words all together.  Fuck.  Of course Cas was ending this.  He could do so much better than Dean, and Dean fucking knew that.  It still hurt like a motherfucker.  Cas was talking, saying something about how he had discussed this with Sam.  Fuck, even _Sammy_ knew Cas wanted him gone?  Where was family loyalty? 

Dean could feel his blood boiling.  He huffed out an annoyed breath, and snatched at his balled-up shirt.  He pulled it forcefully over his head.  At least he hadn’t taken his pants off yet.  “Awesome, Cas,” he snarled.  “I got it loud and clear.”

He pushed past into the hallway on a search for his boots.  Cas watched him, a horribly confused look on his face.  He could hear Castiel plodding after him, but he refused to look into the man’s eyes.  “Dean?  What’s going on?”

Dean found his shoes under the coffee table in the living room and sat down to pull them on.  His eyes remained resolutely down.  “I don’t want to hear you say it,” he growled finally.  “Just—don’t, Cas.  I’m pretty sure that if you look at me with those puppy-dog eyes and tell me how you’re dumping me, I’m going to snap.”

Cas jolted as though he had been hit by a live-wire.  “Dean, I—“

“It’s fine,” he interrupted.  “I mean, it’s not like we’ve even fucked, not really.  So I doubt you’ll remember my name in a week.”

His boyfriend, well, _ex-boyfriend_ now, Dean thought, looked like he had been slapped.  Cas blinked at him, and if Dean didn’t know better it looked like the guy was trying not to cry.  If he was honest with himself, Dean was doing his best not to either.  He wasn’t about to give Cas the satisfaction.

Dean pulled the keys to Baby out of his back pocket and tossed them in between his palms.  “Well, it’s been fun, Cas,” he stormed toward the door.  “See you around.”

Cas yelled his name, asking him to stop, but Dean just kept walking.  He slammed the front door behind him and slid into the driver’s seat of his car.  He made it to the end of the block before he let a single tear fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's one...four more coming at ya throughout the day!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gabe makes a 'grand gesture.'  
> Cas and Dean talk things out.

Sam’s palms were flat on the granite countertop of Gabriel’s kitchen, his body trapping his boyfriend in front of him.  The man himself, was perched on the edge of the counter, legs kicking the cabinet, doing his best to drive Sam wild.  The drive home had been pure torture since Gabe couldn't seem to keep his hands to himself, while Sam managed to break most of the town’s speed limits trying to get home.  Their shirts were somewhere in the garage and Gabe was down to his bright red boxers.

“I’ve never had sex in my kitchen before,” Gabriel hummed, throwing his head back while Sam ran his tongue down Gabe’s neck.

“And we’re not going to,” Sam laughed, moving up to nibble on Gabe’s ear.

Gabriel made a noise of protest and fisted Sam’s hair roughly.  “Why not?  Could be fun.”  Gabe was wheedling.  He always used that tone of voice when trying to convince Sam to try something new.

“Because,” Sam pulled back a little and looked into those pure amber eyes.  “I’m pretty sure if I bent you over this counter, your feet wouldn’t touch the floor.”

“Dick!” Gabe laughed.  “We can’t all be the size of a majestic moose, you know.”

“God, you’re obnoxious,” Sam smiled, pulling Gabriel in for a hard kiss.  Sam knew that their childish insults were actually a sign of affection, and he found comfort in the easiness of being with Gabriel.  He could feel Gabe undoing his belt buckle and he started to think that maybe the logistics of kitchen sex would work.

The doorbell clanged loudly just as Gabe’s hand slid into Sam’s pants and they both groaned in annoyance.  “Go away!” Gabriel yelled.  In response, the sound came again.  “Fuck.”  He moved Sam’s arm and slid off the counter, hopping onto the floor.  “Don’t _move_ from that spot,” he ordered Sam playfully.

Sam waited a moment and went to get a glass of water from the chilled pitcher in the fridge.  He was pouring it out when Gabe sauntered back into the room with someone trailing behind him.  “Look who decided to cock-block us at midnight,” Gabe said.  He was smiling, but something was off.

“Dean?” Sam looked at his brother with concern.  Dean’s skin was greyish and he had red rims around his puffy eyes.  If Sam didn’t know his brother better, he would have said that Dean had been crying—but that was insane—Dean _never_ cried.

“Hey, Sammy,” he said, his voice hoarse.  “It’s cool. I didn’t mean to bother you, I just really didn’t want to be alone right now.”

Sam didn’t like the haunted look in his brother’s eyes and he was more than mildly concerned about the fact that there hadn’t been any teasing remarks about their state of undress.  “Uh, huh?” he glanced at Gabe who was looking more upset than worried.  “What’s going on?” he asked Dean.

“Cas fucking dumped me,” Dean’s hand was covering his mouth, but Sam heard his word loud and clear.

“What the fuck?”

“Your brother’s an ass,” Dean said off-handedly to Gabriel.

Crossing his arms over his bare chest and clicking his tongue, Gabe looked hard at Dean.  “Did he actually say he was breaking up with you?  Or did you just take off in the middle of a conversation?”

Both Sam and Dean flinched at that.  It seemed that the Novaks already had their usual defense mechanisms pegged.  “Well, he was about to break it off, and I didn’t want to hear it,” Dean finally said.

“Right,” Gabe glared at Dean.  “My brother wasn’t dumping you, you arrogant dick.”

“He said he wanted to ‘discuss something with me,’” Dean snapped.  “Sounds a lot like the old ‘Heave-Ho’ conversation to me.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes and looked at Sam.  “Please tell me that you don’t pull shit like this too.”  He turned back to Dean.  “Cas has something he wants to talk to you about, pertaining to _his_ life.  He’s trying to be honest about it because he wants to move to the next level with you, moron.  Although, right now, I’m at a loss as to why.”

“He’s right, Dean,” Sam spoke up.  “Cas talked to me the other day.  Well, I talked to him about…never mind…but he’s not dumping you.”

“Well what the fuck would make him start a conversation like that with the whole, ‘serious voice,’ crap?” Dean looked at them.

“That’s Cassie’s business,” Gabe said, moving over to join Sam.  “And I’m not getting in the middle of this.”  The doorbell chimed again.  “Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Gabriel threw his hands in the air and stomped off toward the front of the house.

“Did you really just run out and not even try to talk to him?” Sam asked quietly.

“Fuck, Sammy,” Dean groaned.  “I thought he was breaking up with me and I wasn’t in the mood—sue me.”  He looked completely defeated.  “I fucked up, didn’t I?”

“Just a lot,” Sam replied.

“Why are you two practically naked in the kitchen?” Dean asked.  “No, wait,” he held up his hands.  “I really don’t want to know what I interrupted.”

Gabe was back, Castiel at his side.  The younger Novak looked rumpled and also as if he may have shed a few tears.  “Dean,” Cas’ voice was rough.

“Please,” Gabe said sarcastically.  “Allow me to provide the use of my house.”  He held out his hand to Sam.  “Come on, kiddo.  I’m not finished with you yet, and our dumbass brothers could use some privacy.”

“Just listen to him, Dean,” Sam pleaded quietly as he took Gabe’s hand and they both left the room.

They stood in the hall for a second, straining their ears to listen.  Once Cas started speaking, Gabe pulled him away, heading toward the front door.  “We’re leaving?” Sam asked.

“No,” Gabe told him.  “I want to show you something.”  He pulled two large winter jackets out of the closet by the front door and tossed one to Sam.  “It’s cold outside.”

“Gabe, you don’t have pants on,” Sam pointed out, shrugging into the too-small coat.

“We won’t be long,” Gabriel promised.

They stepped out into the icy night air.  It was definitely going to snow soon, you could feel it.  Sam was lucky enough to have his pants and shoes on, but Gabe was barefoot as they stood on the front step.  His boyfriend didn’t even seem to notice the chill.  “You’re inhuman,” Sam commented as Gabe locked the front door behind them.  “I’m freezing.”

“It’s nice out,” Gabe was distracted.  “Okay,” he tugged on the door, making sure it was locked tight.  “I don’t want shit like that,” he gestured inside,” to happen with us.  I would really like it if you came to me when you have an issue.  I’ll do the same, and I won’t run away pouting if you don’t.”

Sam nodded.  “Okay,” he said.  “I mean, I can try.”

“That’s all I ask,” Gabe was serious.  Their usual tone of levity was gone for the moment and while Sam’s instinct was to emulate his brother and take off, he remained rooted to the spot.  “I have something for you,” Gabe told him.

Sam was confused as to why they were standing outside in the freezing cold and even having this conversation, but he held firm.  “Okay.”

Gabe gave him a half-smile and turned to the door.  He freed the locking keypad from the house and motioned for Sam to come over.  Shuffling his boots, Sam walked toward the electronic locking system and looked down at it.  “I’m confused,” he said finally.

“Here,” Gabriel took his hand and pressed Sam’s index finger to the scanner.  The machine beeped happily and the sound of the front door unlocking echoed in the stillness of the night.  Sam looked up at Gabe in surprise.  “I added you to the approved list.  You can come and go as you please.  I really,” he huffed.  “I really want you to think of this as your house too.”

Sam was smiling broadly.  “So this is you, basically giving me a key to your house?”

“Yeah,” Gabriel shrugged self-consciously.  “You and I are the only authorized prints on file.”  Gabriel looked kind of embarrassed at the admission.

“You mean, Cas--?”

“No,” Gabe whispered.  “Just you.”

Sam put his hand on Gabriel’s cheek and leaned down for a sweet kiss.  “Thank you.”

Soon enough, they were making out on the front steps with the door cracked open in front of them.  Eventually Sam bitched enough about the cold that they re-entered the house after Sam tried the keypad one more time.  They could still hear voices coming from the kitchen, but there was no yelling.  Deciding to ignore their ‘guests,’ Sam and Gabriel retreated upstairs, where Sam proceeded to express how incredibly touched he was by his boyfriend’s gesture.

* * *

Castiel was shuffling on his feet and unsure of how to approach this situation.  It was obviously delicate, and the last thing he wanted was for Dean to storm out once more.  He settled for, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Dean said gruffly.

“No,” Cas insisted.  “I realize now that my words weren’t clear, and for that I apologize.”

“Yeah, well,” Dean toed the floor with his boot.  “Gabriel and Sammy may have explained to me that I’m a douchebag for not just listening to you.”  He let out an irritated huff.  “I’m not good at this shit.”

“Neither am I,” Cas admitted.  “When Gabriel answered the door, he informed me that starting a conversation that way has negative implications.  I should have said that I want to be more open about my life so that you will hopefully be in it for as long as possible.”

“I thought you were fucking dumping me,” Dean blurted.

Cas’s hands twitched, as though he wanted to take Dean’s palms into his own.  “No!” he was adamant.  “Not at all.”

They had been glancing around the room, avoiding each other until now.  Dean finally lifted his head and made eye contact with Castiel.  “Gabe mentioned that you wanted to share something.  I’m freaking out here, Cas,” he admitted.  “But I’ll listen if you want me to.”

Cas hesitated, but then he nodded once.  “We should sit.”

They moved to the large kitchen table and took seats next to one another.  Both of their hands were clasped on the surface in front of them, and they were still avoiding the other’s gaze slightly.  “Any time, Cas,” Dean prompted.

“I’m sure you are aware that my brother is rather well-off,” Cas started.

“Yeah,” Dean rolled his eyes.  “I picked up on that when I saw this place the first time.  It’s not normal.  Plus, he has no discernible job and he tips a couple bills every time we go to the bar.”

Castiel nodded gravely.  “He invented chocolates when he was sixteen that are very popular.  It’s a lucrative business.  Technically he owns the company and sits on the board, but he basically retired when we moved to Sioux Falls.”

“Jesus,” Dean breathed.

“For my eighteenth birthday, he gifted me with shares in the company worth about forty percent,” Cas looked up at Dean, gauging his reaction.

Dean’s face ran a gamut of expressions as he processed what Cas was saying.  “Wait, are you telling me that you’re filthy fucking rich too?”

Nodding, and looking both incredibly depressed and apprehensive, Cas said, “Yes.”

Dean swallowed and looked up into Cas’ face.  “Okay.”

“As of now, my net worth is approximately forty-two million and roughly eight hundred and twenty-three thousand dollars.”

Dean whistled, impressed.  “Change?” Dean teased.

“I think its fifty-seven cents, but I may be off in my calculations,” Cas told him.

“I’m giving you a hard time, man,” Dean told him.  “Teasing you.”  Cas still looked nervous.  “Is this…what you wanted to talk about then?  That’s it?  You know that being rich isn’t a bad thing, right?  Not like you’re a secret serial killer or something.”

“This is very difficult for me, Dean,” Cas told him.  “I’ve never disclosed my finances to anyone before, assuming that they would no longer see me as a person, but as a bank account.”  His soulful eyes met Dean’s in a pleading look.  “You’re so different.  And after speaking with Sam about his concerns, I felt that it was only right to tell you.”

“What’s Sam worried about?” Dean’s thoughts immediately went to his brother with concern.

“He thinks that due to his financial status and current occupation as a college student, that he isn’t good enough for Gabriel,” Cas told him reluctantly.

“That’s bullshit,” Dean said loudly.

“I’m inclined to agree with you,” Cas soothed.  “And that’s exactly what I told him.”

“Good,” Dean said.  “Thanks for that.  Sammy sometimes gets too much into his own head and then runs off with whatever he hits.”

“It seems that it runs in the family,” Cas told him pointedly.

Dean hung his head sheepishly.  “Yeah, we aren’t good with feelings and ‘talking’ about shit.  Sorry.”  He paused, inching his hand over to finger Cas’ pinkie.  “I shouldn’t have run out like that.  Fuck.  I’m so sorry Cas, I should have just listened to what you were trying to say.”

“You’re not put-off by this?” Cas asked tentatively, returning the small touches.

“Not really, no,” Dean told him.  “I mean, it’s kind of a big thing.  I can see why you don’t exactly lead with that.  ‘Hi, I’m a millionaire, would you like to fuck?’ But I’m not going to get all pissed off about something that really isn’t any of my business.”

Cas bit his lip.  “I wanted to share it with you,” he started.  “Because it’s my hope that one day it _will_ be pertinent to you.”

“You want a joint bank account?” Dean laughed.  “I can contribute about seventy bucks.”

“Eventually, yes,” Cas was serious.  “I’m very hopeful that you will be my last relationship, Dean.”

_Holy shit!_  Dean fidgeted in his chair.  Less than an hour ago, he was pretty sure he was single and going to spend the next few months incredibly depressed, and now Cas was basically saying that he wanted forever.  This was definitely not where Dean had expected Halloween night to lead.  Dean mumbled and Cas leaned in to hear him.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

“I said, that I would like that too,” Dean’s voice was small and uncertain.  He wasn’t lying, but shit, it had only been a month and they hadn’t even had sex yet.  Was this too soon?  He knew that it didn’t feel like a mistake, so that was something.

Cas smiled and moved closer.  He was pressing against Dean’s side, their faces turned to one another, their noses brushing.  “I’m going to kiss you, Dean,” Cas’ voice was like sandpaper.  Dean could only nod as his _boyfriend_ —again—leaned in and captured his lips.

They were interrupted by Cas’ phone chirping.  He grunted and looked at it quickly, rolling his intense blue eyes.  “What?” Dean asked.

“That was Gabriel, informing me that my usual guest room has clean sheets if we wish to stay the night.”

Dean grinned and shot Cas a wink.  “Let’s dirty them up then,” he tugged at Cas’ hand.

They reached the stairs, and Cas stopped.  “Please don’t run from me again,” he requested sadly.

Dean moved down to his boyfriend’s level, and took Cas’ face in his hands.  “I can’t promise that I won’t ever mess up,” he said.  “But I’m going to do my damndest to stay right here at your side.”

Cas smiled softy at the words and Dean couldn’t resist, pulling him in for a bruising kiss.  They stumbled awkwardly up the stairs and barely made it to the room in time.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam gets a little nervous.  
> Dean and Cas are slightly NSFW on a date.  
> Minor Donna/Jody mentions.

After the rather intense events of Halloween night, both of the Winchesters decided to take a little time with just the two of them and headed back to their apartment in the morning.  Gabe pouted cutely at Sam’s departure, but Castiel acknowledged that Dean needed a moment to process everything.

The Impala bumped along the road as the two brothers sat silently.  Eventually, Sam turned to Dean and said, “Everything all better now?”

“Yeah,” Dean told him.  “You were right, I fucked up.  He wasn’t dumping me.”

“I know.”

“He’s rich.”

“I know,” Sam repeated.

“I don’t know how I feel about that, honestly,” Dean said quietly.  “I mean, it’s cool.  But I don’t want him to feel like I’m dead weight.”

“I am right there with you,” Sam sighed.

Dean side-eyed his brother.  “Gabe doesn’t make you feel like shit for still being in school, does he?”

“No,” Sam was firm.  “He’s insanely supportive—almost as much as you.  He helps me study and makes me take breaks.”  Sam swallowed.  “Snack breaks.  Like, if I forget to eat.”

“I’m sure he makes you take booty call breaks too,” Dean teased.  He laughed even louder when Sam flushed and turned away from him.  “What was that, Sammy?”

“Bitch.

“Hey, that’s my line, Jerk.”

They smiled at each other as they pulled into the lot for their place.  Neither had been home for any longer than it took to pack a small bag in the last few weeks and the whole apartment had a slightly musty smell when they walked in.  The Winchesters tossed their things on the couch and set about tidying up their home.  Sam lit a scented candle that he produced from somewhere in his room and Dean made fun of him for even owning one for the next hour.

A few hours later, everything was sparkling and smelling much better.  The laundry was done and Dean had finished cleaning out the refrigerator, where most of their food had spoiled.  They had boxes of pasta and a jar of canned sauce in the cupboards still, so they began to prepare a meal of spaghetti for the evening.  Dean kept thinking about the conversation with Cas the previous evening.  He really had to learn to communicate better.  Bottling things up and storming off wasn’t a healthy way to deal with life.

He drained the pasta while Sam grabbed plates, and took the opening that the silence was giving him.  “Everything going okay with you?”

“Yeah, why?” Sam looked at him curiously.

“Classes are good?”

Sam nodded and began to fill his plate.  “I think I may have decided on a major.”

“That’s awesome!” Dean smiled.  His brother had been waffling about what path to take for a long time.  He seemed to think that he couldn’t just do anything he wanted and Dean knew Sam was worried about messing up.  As far as Dean was concerned, his brother could do no wrong.  “What are you thinking?”

“Don’t laugh,” Sam warned him as they sat down and began to eat.  “I’m considering going pre-law.”

Dean beamed.  He was ecstatic.  Sammy was so fucking smart and Dean knew his brother would be an amazing lawyer.  Sure, it meant more schooling, which meant more money, but Dean was determined to make it work.  Sam was twirling pasta noodles around on his fork, looking constipated.  “I’m really proud of you, Sammy.”

His brother looked up, startled.  “Really?”

“Fuck, yeah!  You’d be a kick-ass lawyer.  You know that right?”

“It’s expensive,” Sam said slowly.  “I know that.  And I’d have to study for another few years.”

“I don’t want you to think about that,” Dean was firm.  He’d find a way to get the money, even if Sam was in college for another twenty years.  “What did Gabe say?” he wondered.

Sam rubbed his eyes.  “I haven’t told him yet.”

“Why not?” Dean raised his eyebrow.

“I don’t know,” Sam sighed.  “Because he’d probably offer to pay for it.”

Dean knew that would be the easiest course, but he totally understood where his brother was coming from.  Winchesters liked to make their own way in the world.  They weren’t great about asking for help.  He was also a little surprised that Sam was so certain of how his boyfriend would react.  Tuition was expensive and a gift like that was a big deal.  Apparently Gabe and his brother were more serious than Dean thought.  “So?  He offers, you decline.  I doubt that you’d hurt his tiny, tiny feelings.”

Sam shot him a bitchy look.  “I just don’t want to even have that conversation with him.”

“You sure he’d even offer?”

Nodding, Sam poked at his spaghetti.  “He sort of, I guess, gave me a key to his place last night.”

“Sort of, as in you’re not sure?” Dean was confused.  Seems like someone would know if they got a key to their boyfriend’s house.

“No, yeah,” Sam stammered.  “I mean, he doesn’t have _keys_ , per se, he has that fingerprint scanner.”  Dean looked at him.  “He loaded my prints into it so I can unlock the door.  He said that even Cas isn’t in the system—just me.”

Dean whistled and sat back in his chair.  That was pretty big.  Especially considering that Cas had regaled Dean with all of the ways that Gabriel sprinted far away from anything resembling commitment.  “Wow.”

“Yeah.”

“Are you okay with that?”

Sam shrugged.  “Last night, I was really touched by the gesture, but now…” Sam buried his face in his hands.  “Now I’m freaking out a little.”

“You wanted things to be more casual?” Dean guessed.

“No,” Sam grunted.  “I want things to be further along, actually and it’s giving me fucking anxiety.  I’ve known the guy for a month.”

Dean was in the same boat.  Things were just moving so fast.  Not that it wasn’t amazing, but it was still a little worrisome.  Especially for two brothers who pretended that emotions weren’t a real thing and had just come bursting out of the closet.  “Cas wants us to have a joint bank account,” he said without thinking.  He just wanted Sam to stop looking so weird and nervous.

“Jesus,” his brother looked at him.  “And here I am thinking that a ‘key’ is moving too fast.”

“Yeah,” Dean said.  “Well, aren’t we a pair?” he laughed.  “What are you going to do?”

Sam shook his head.  “I don’t know.  I guess I’ll talk to Gabe about it.”

“Yeah,” Dean said.  “Me too.”  But they both knew that they were lying.  There was no way that either of the Winchesters was about to step onto the landmine of actually discussing important relationship things.  Their habits were just too ingrained at this point.  They cleaned up the dishes in silence and went to bed, each brother consumed with their own thoughts.

* * *

Cas opened the door in a panic and pulled Dean into his house.  Dean leaned in for a kiss, but Castiel just squirmed away and ran back to the kitchen.  Confused, Dean trailed after his boyfriend asking why he wasn’t getting his ‘sugar.’  He figured it out when he stepped into the room and saw all of the windows open and a cloud of grey billowing out of the oven.  Cas was hopping around with oven mitts on his hands and waving at the smoke while apologizing profusely. 

“I’m so sorry.  I think dinner got away from me.”  Cas looked crestfallen.

Dean’s sides were shaking with laughter.  He doubled over and braced his hand on the counter.  The smell of burning meat was permeating the entire house.  “I take it that Gabe got all the talent in the kitchen?”

“I usually have microwaveable frozen meals,” Cas admitted.  “I wanted to do something special.  Gabriel insisted that I couldn’t mess up a pot roast when he gave me the recipe.”

“I guess he over-estimated your skills,” Dean moved toward him and took Cas into his arms.  “It’s okay,” Dean soothed as Castiel buried his face into Dean’s shoulder.  “I can do the cooking—this isn’t a big deal.”

“My smoke alarms went off,” Cas moaned unhappily.

There was no beeping currently sounding and Dean looked around.  He saw the mount on the ceiling.  Wires were sticking out at all angles and the main part of the alarm was dangling from the ceiling—obviously destroyed.  He laughed even harder.  “Did you take a baseball bat to it?”

“A broom, actually,” Cas admitted.

“Okay, I’ll fix that later,” he chucked his thumb under Cas’ chin.  When he finally got his boyfriend to look at him, Dean rewarded him with a smooth, tender kiss.  “I’m taking you out tonight.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Cas protested.

“I appreciate the effort,” Dean said.  “But I’m not about to eat a burned up pot roast.  We can go to The Roadhouse and have some burgers.  Does that sound good?”

“I’ll never turn down a burger,” Cas said, cheering up slightly.  “But I’m paying.  I was the one who ruined dinner and I’d like to make it up to you.”

“If you insist,” Dean said.  “But I’m ordering double onion rings.  And loaded nachos.”

Castiel looked at him and said, dryly, “I’ll have to check my budget, but I think that would be all right.”

Dean barked out a laugh.  They cleaned up a little, tossing the ruined meat and leaving the roasting pan to soak in the sink before heading out.  Dean made a big deal about having to run to the bathroom before they left, which made Castiel suspicious.  He didn’t press though, and Dean was grateful for that.  He wanted to cheer his boyfriend up, and he figured that he knew just the way to do it.

They headed out to the car and Dean didn’t mention anything about his conversations with Sam the previous day, and neither of them mentioned their argument.  They spoke mostly about work and throwing out theories about the new season of ‘Doctor Sexy, M.D.’ as they drove.

They parked at The Roadhouse and Dean practically bounded up the steps, eager for what he now deemed, ‘The Best Burgers Ever.’  There was no wait, and the young blonde girl from their last visit took them straight to an empty table.  They were just sitting down when Dean looked up.

“Hey,” Dean smiled as he saw a familiar face seated a few tables away.  He pulled on Cas’ hand, dragging him over to where Jody was conversing with a blonde woman.  “Fancy meeting you here,” he smiled at the Sheriff.

Jody looked startled and pushed back her chair abruptly to pull Dean into a motherly hug.  She did the same with Cas, who awkwardly patted her on the back before letting go.  “Date night,” the blonde woman spoke up, causing Jody to stare at her incredulously.

“Yeah,” Dean smiled down at her.  “I always make Cas take me for my favorite burgers in town.  Hi,” he reached out a hand.  “I’m Dean.  This is my boyfriend.”

Cas extended his palm and shook the woman’s hand as well.  “Hello, Donna.  It’s good to see you out in the real world.”

“Well, I can’t spend all my time baking pies, now can I?” she laughed.

Dean’s eyes bugged out at the mention of his favorite food.  “Pies?” he said suspiciously to Jody.  “This woman bakes pies and you’ve never introduced us?  I thought you loved me Sheriff Mills.”

“I—uh,” Jody stammered.

“Don’t mind Jody-o,” Donna smiled.  “She’s just all flustered trying to figure out how to tell you that this is our first date.”

Dean’s mouth gaped.  “Seriously?” he looked at his former foster mother.

“I _do_ have a life, Dean,” Jody said.

“Yeah, I know,” Dean smiled.  “I just didn’t—wow.  So who asked out who?”

Donna giggled.  “Jody’s been coming in for months buying pastries from me even though she knows I do a weekly delivery to the Sheriff’s Station.  It was kind of cute, her using ‘cheating on her diet’ as an excuse to see me.  Recently, she was rather… _forward,_ shall we say?  And I took the plunge and invited her to dinner.”

“Which I’m sure they would like to get back to,” Castiel observed, beginning to steer Dean away before he embarrassed Jody any more.  The Sheriff was actually visibly sweating.

“Well, I’m being rude, apparently,” Dean laughed.  “Good to meet you though, Donna.  I hope we see you around.”  He turned to Jody and pointed discreetly toward Donna, whispering, “I want pie.”  Jody mouthed a ‘thank you,’ to the librarian as he led Dean back to their own table.

They returned to their seats.  Cas looked over the menu while Dean was already firmly decided on his usual selection.  “Why mess with perfection,” he winked at Castiel.  Cas settled on an avocado burger this time and Dean poked fun at his choice until Cas withered him with a dominant look.

That eyebrow, man.  Dean felt himself twitch in his pants.  He couldn’t wait to see Cas look at him like that in the bedroom.  He was sure it would send him over the edge before they even got going.  Dean was rock hard now.  If he was honest, he’d been sporting half a chub since he used the restroom at Cas’ place earlier.  If he was going to be this exposed in public then Cas was going to have an embarrassing issue to deal with as well.

“So, buddy,” Dean smiled across the table.  Cas glowered at the term.  Dean knew it still rankled that he had introduced him to Claire as a friend.  He hoped that what he was about to say would make up for it a little.  “I have a surprise for you.”

“You don’t need to buy me things to express your affection,” Cas told him.

“I didn’t buy you anything,” Dean promised.  “I know how pissed you are about the pot roast and I wanted to cheer you up.”

“So you’re giving me a gift?”

“It’s sort of a present for me too,” Dean hinted.

Cas frowned.  “I’m not following you and I don’t want to misunderstand.  What are you talking about?”

Dean glanced around, happy that there were no people at the surrounding tables.  Jody and Donna were the closest and they were four seats away.  Dean really didn’t want this to be overheard.  “At your place, when I went to the bathroom?”  Cas nodded, unsure of where this was going.  “I, uh,” Dean looked around them once more.  “I put my plug in.”

Cas’ eyes went wide.  His complete and utter shock showed only for a moment before he leaned forward and growled, “You’re wearing it _now_?”

Nodding, Dean blushed a little.  “I thought it might turn you on.”  Fuck, he hoped he’d done the right thing.  “I thought that if you _knew_ that I had it in while we were out,” Dean stuttered.  This was harder than he thought it would be, and it wasn’t the only thing.  “That maybe you’d, you know,” he huffed, “take me home and finally fuck me?”

His boyfriend let out a breath through his nose and nodded once, very fast.  “I would enjoy that very much, Dean.”  Cas’ voice was rough and grating and, fuck, was it ever a turn on.

“I kind of just want to go home now,” Dean told him quietly.

“You would spend the rest of the night pouting about not getting your burger,” Cas reminded him.  “And I want your total focus tonight.  You will _not_ be thinking about food while I do what I wish with you.”

And there it was.  Dean was pretty sure he almost came in his pants at Cas’ words.  This was going to be absolute torture.  But it was sure as hell going to be fun too.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Gabriel have a long-overdue chat.  
> Dean and Cas FINALLY get down for realsies. NSFW

Sam did _not_ want to be here.  He did _not_ want to be doing this.  He felt sick and his hands were pale and shaking with nerves.  Cas was right though.  At their lunch earlier that day, Castiel had urged Sam to just talk about his decisions with Gabriel.  He was certain that his brother would be completely supportive of Sam’s goals.  Sam knew that he had to be honest with Gabriel about what he was planning for his life if he wanted this relationship to go anywhere.

Gabe had insisted on Chinese, which Sam thought would be a casual affair.  However, as soon as they stepped into the restaurant, it hit him at how very wrong he was.  The place was upscale with impeccable lighting.  When they sat down, Sam could see that the menu didn’t include prices, which meant expensive.  Shit.

Before he could say anything, Gabe said, “I know what you’re thinking.  I have a craving for Kung Pow, so we’re staying.  Don’t think about money right now, please.  I don’t want to hear it.”  Gabe’s tone was a little edgy and Sam didn’t want to know what that meant.

He worried his lip and kept his mouth shut.  It wouldn’t kill him to let Gabriel treat him on occasion, and Sam had a feeling that tonight was going to be big for them.  He watched while Gabriel ordered a bottle of wine.  From the response of the waiter, Sam knew that it was pricey and he internally groaned.  “You look like an axe-murderer is going to jump out and chase you right now,” Gabe commented.

“Sorry, I’m a little nervous,” Sam told him.  It was best to be honest, he knew that.

“You’re nervous about being on a date with me?” Gabriel tried for levity.  “It’s not exactly a new thing, kiddo.”

“No, I just, um,” Sam cleared his throat.  “I kind of have something I want to talk to you about.”

“Hit me,” Gabriel took a sip of his water.

“Well, a little while ago, at school,” Sam began.  “I, um—“ He was interrupted by the waiter returning with their insanely expensive wine.  He waited while the drink was poured and Gabe tested it out.  When the server walked away, Sam saw that Gabriel was watching him intently, waiting for him to continue.

“Take a sip,” his boyfriend suggested.  “Calm your nerves.  You’re giving me hives right now.”

Sam managed a chuckle and ended up downing the whole glass in one go.  Gabriel snorted and tried to disguise his laughter.  “I’m not going to bite you,” he told Sam.  “You can talk to me about anything that you want.”

He decided to just spit it out.  “I picked a major.”

Gabriel’s eyes lit up.  “Yeah?  Good for you.  What are you thinking about?”

“Pre-law,” Sam said, going for the gold.  “I just—didn’t think I could do it.  But I’ve wanted to be a lawyer forever, and I guess I figured, why not try?”

“No point to living if you don’t follow your dreams,” Gabriel encouraged.  “Do you know what classes you’ll be taking next semester to get on that track?”

Sam began to talk about his research and his multiple visits with his faculty advisor.  They ordered their food and chatted away with Gabriel listening happily at Sam’s obvious enthusiasm.  There was something simmering beneath the excitement, and it was clear that Sam was still wary about how Gabriel was reacting to his announcement.

“Sounds good, kiddo,” Gabriel said casually.  “Have you applied for any more scholarships to help out with the cost?”  He sipped his wine and looked at Sam with a mock innocent expression.

“Not yet,” Sam told him.  “But I will.” 

They watched each other for a while.  Sam trying to work out why Gabe wasn’t reacting the way that he had expected, and Gabriel gnawing on his lip with intent.  They both finally spoke simultaneously and then gave a nervous laugh.  Sam waved his hand for Gabriel to continue.

“Look,” the older man said.  “It is literally taking everything in me not to just snap my fingers and make all your dreams come true.  I can do it.  It’s killing me to not just come out and offer to pay for you to go to school for however long you want,” he stated.  Sam opened his mouth but Gabe held up his hand for silence.  Sam’s lips snapped closed.  “But I _do_ respect you, kiddo, and I don’t want to put you in the awkward position of explaining your views on ‘pride’ and shooting me down.”

“Thanks, Gabe,” Sam said after a while.  “I was actually really dreading that.”

“I’m more observant than people give me credit for,” Gabe smiled at him.  “That being said, if you ever change your mind…”  He let it hang in the air.

Sam was touched by his boyfriend’s generosity, but he knew that he would never accept his financial help.  He nodded gratefully.  “All right,” Gabe smiled.  “Just so we get this out of the way up front,” he tossed his wallet onto the table.  “I’m paying tonight—as a thank you for keeping me in the loop about your future—don’t fucking argue with me.  Think of it as a celebratory dinner for you finally choosing a major.”

“I can do that,” Sam promised.  They clinked their wine glasses together in a toast.

“My boyfriend, the lawyer,” Gabe smiled.  “I like the sound of that.  It’s sort of swanky.”

“You’re insane,” Sam laughed.

“Insanely in love with you,” Gabe said.  They both froze and stared at one another.  Well, _that_ just happened.  Sam wanted to say it in return so badly since he’d been holding in the same thought for weeks, but something held him back.  He opened his mouth, unsure of what was going to come out, but he was saved by the waiter returning with their food.

Gabe began to eat without a word, acting as though he hadn’t just dropped a bombshell.  Sam watched him for a moment before following his boyfriend’s lead.  They didn’t mention it for the rest of the night.

* * *

Castiel had always been happy with his incredible self-control.  Tonight though, Dean was testing him greatly.  They sat at The Roadhouse, eating their burgers and chatting about inane things, but all the while, tension simmered between them.  He knew that he was shooting longing looks at his boyfriend, but he couldn’t help himself.

When Dean had told him what he had done for him, it took all of Cas’ strength to not just grab Dean and drag the other man to the restroom right then and there.  He didn’t want their first official time to be in the men’s room of a dingy bar, but he was sorely tempted.

Knowing that his boyfriend had done something that bordered on sordid had Cas squirming ever so slightly in his hard-backed chair.  He couldn’t concentrate on his food—it tasted like molecules anyway.  Dean seemed to be enjoying himself, but there was a glint to his hard-set eyes that gave away how impatient his boyfriend was becoming.

They skipped dessert and paid their bill in haste, practically running at full tilt toward the Impala to get home.  Cas’ hands slid up Dean’s thighs as they drove, leading to distraction.  His boyfriend kept his eyes firmly on the road, his jaw set, as he sped through the streets of Sioux Falls.  In an attempt to forget the emotions running high in the vehicle, Dean mentioned that he was going to have to stop by his apartment in the morning for more clothes.

Almost on an impulse, Cas said, “You should just move in with me.”

Dean jerked the steering wheel and barely missed jumping the curb.  He slid his eyes to Cas and slowed the speedometer down just a fraction.  “Are you serious?”

Cas shrugged.  He’d been thinking along those lines, despite the fact that they hadn’t exactly _consummated_ their relationship.  He wanted Dean to be his for all time.  That meant co-habitation.  And he couldn’t deny that he enjoyed waking up together.  The few times Dean had went back to his place for the night had been plagued with nightmares for Cas, which he would never admit.  He wanted Dean to move in—more than he cared to say out loud.  “I’m very serious,” he said finally.  “If you don’t want to—“

“No, Cas,” Dean interrupted.  “That’s not what I’m saying at all.  It’s just…that’s a big step.”

“I’m aware.”

“Wow, Cas,” Dean breathed uneasily.

“You’re saying ‘no,’” Cas commented.

“No.  I mean, yeah, no, fuck!” Dean slammed his hand on the steering wheel.  “I’m not making sense.”

“No.”

“I’m saying maybe,” Dean finally said as they pulled into Castiel’s driveway.  “I have to figure some things out, but I want to do this as well.  I just need to make sure Sam’s taken care of, and the lease isn’t up until like, March or something anyway.  I can’t afford to pay for a place I’m not using.”

Castiel frowned.  “You’re not using it now,” he pointed out.

“Shit,” Dean groaned.  “This isn’t going how I wanted.”

“Join the club,” Cas huffed.

Dean turned off the car and twisted in the seat to face him.  “I’m saying ‘yes,’” Dean told him straight.  “I’m just saying not so fast.  Give me a little time to wrap my head around this and make sure Sam’s cool with being on his own.”

For a long while, Cas didn’t speak.  Finally he asked, “Did I ruin the evening?”

“No, man,” Dean said, pulling him in and giving him a quick kiss.  “I’m just in a little bit of shock right now.”

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” Cas said mournfully.

“Fuck, Cas,” Dean laughed.  “Your guilt complex is almost as bad as mine.”  It broke the tension and both men smiled.  “Now, I believe that we have an appointment in our bedroom?”

“ _Our_ bedroom?”  Cas’ heart lifted.

“Figured that I might as well start practicing saying that,” Dean winked as he exited the car.

They raced up the stairs, into the house, and down the hall.  By the time Castiel caught up, Dean was shirtless and beginning to work on his jeans.  “I need you, like, right now,” Dean told him.  Normally, when they had been intimate previously, Cas enjoyed taking his time undressing Dean himself, but his boyfriend was correct—this was no time for clothes.  Patience was overrated anyway and it wasn’t as if this hadn’t been a long time coming.

Cas was pulling off his underwear as Dean sat down gingerly on the bed and leaned back onto his elbows.  Cas could see the plug nestled tightly into his boyfriend’s ass.  It might have been the sexiest thing he had ever witnessed. 

He tripped over to the bed, landing on top of Dean with a grunt.  Their arms wrapped around one another, lips and teeth clashing in a forceful kiss.  Dean writhed beneath him, keening, and Cas found that the sounds were almost too much for him to bear.  After he had his fill of Dean’s mouth for the time being, he slid down his boyfriend’s body, raking his nails along Dean’s firm chest.

He settled in between Dean’s knees, and lightly fingered the flange of the plug that was slightly protruding from his boyfriend’s body.  “You’re killing me here,” Dean gasped.  “Come on, angel,” Dean begged.  “I think we’ve waited long enough for the main event.”

Cas whole-heartedly agreed and he gripped the toy with his fingers and eased it out of Dean’s body.  It slipped free, leaving Dean’s muscles loose and open.  Cas inserted a finger and found that his boyfriend was relaxed and pliant and very ready.  “Dean, I—“

“Please shut up and fuck me,” Dean growled.  “I’m not kidding.  I’m pretty sure I already messed myself at dinner and I can’t wait for you any longer.”

He didn’t need to be told twice.  Cas leapt up and grabbed condoms and lube, coming back to Dean as quickly as was humanly possible.  His lover needed hardly any prep, seeing as Dean had taken care of that earlier when he’d first started this game.  Cas rolled a condom down over his girth and touched Dean’s side lightly.  “It will be easier the first time if you get onto your hands and knees.”

Dean flipped with surprising speed and grace, bracing himself on his elbows and sticking his round ass up into the air.  Cas climbed up onto the bed behind him, gently kneading his hands into the globes of Dean’s perfect butt cheeks.  “Stop teasing me,” Dean whined, pushing his hips back toward Cas.

Castiel placed his hand on Dean’s lower back and lined himself up.  This was finally, _finally_ happening and both men were breathing hard before they’d even begun.  Cas nudged Dean’s hole with his prick and pushed gently.  He felt himself slip in a fraction of an inch and Dean tensed.  He paused, concern in his eyes as he looked down at the man presenting in front of him.  “Don’t fucking stop,” Dean snarled.  “I’m fucking serious, Cas.  If you stop I’m going to fucking kill you.”

Smiling at his lover’s vehemence, Cas continued to press forward, sliding deeply into Dean’s body.  His boyfriend was so snug and warm around him that he felt like he might pass out.  His hips brushed the skin of Dean’s legs and he was fully surrounded by the younger man.  Cas gasped loudly as he bottomed out, filling Dean with everything he could give to him.

The pressure was too great, and he found that he had to move before he combusted.  He gently began to work up a rhythm, careful of his boyfriend’s inexperience.  Dean moved with abandon, uncaring that he had no familiarity in this type of intercourse.  He was green in his motions and tended to push toward Cas at awkward intervals; but Castiel found that he was so moved by the sensations rolling through him that he was sure this might be the best sex he had ever had.

He could see sweat trickling down Dean’s neck, glistening against sun-kissed skin, weaving among the freckles adorning his lover’s body.  Cas felt an urge to kiss each and every mark.  He folded slightly, and pressed his lips to the back of Dean’s shoulder, continually pumping his cock into his boyfriend’s tight hole.

Dean squeezed around him at the contact, which spurred Cas on.  He found himself pounding harder than he intended and began to whisper, “I’m sorry,” over and over.  Dean shook his head and moved willingly, silently asking for more.

The desire was physically manifesting itself, settling in Cas’ chest as he continued to take his boyfriend for the very first time.  He was awed that this gorgeous man had chosen him for this monumental experience.  Dean was sexy and funny and the most attractive person that Castiel had ever been with—he could have had his pick.  And he’d chosen the shy, introverted, socially-stunted librarian.  Cas couldn’t believe his luck and he intended to show Dean his sincere gratitude.

Dean moaned loudly as Cas brushed inside of him and he knew that he had discovered his boyfriend’s inner core.  “Fuck!  That was—oh man, do it again!” Dean called out.

Grunting with exertion, Cas slid in hard, his extremities beginning to tingle at the pressure building inside of him.  An intense swell of emotion flooded over Cas as he felt Dean buck.  He hoped that Dean would remember this—him—forever.  He came with a cry, spilling into the condom, filling it more than he had ever thought possible.  Dean joined him moments later, dripping his own seed onto the bed.

Cas pulled out like a shot, and moved Dean’s body, pressing their naked forms together in a tight embrace.  He showered kisses along Dean’s nose, cheeks, and finally lips, as they both came down from their euphoria.  They fell back onto the bed, thoroughly tangled, kissing happily.

He could feel Dean’s whole body relax into the touch and it made Cas smile.  The mess was becoming distracting, and so Cas pulled at Dean until his grumbling man finally followed him into the bathroom.  They cleaned up together, trying to keep their bodies touching throughout.

Dean couldn’t seem to articulate his thoughts coherently.  He kept saying half sentences and breaking off to gaze into Castiel’s eyes.  It was daunting for both of them, this feeling of comfort and belonging.  They moved back to bed, where they dove under the covers and resumed their light caresses.

“I’m gonna need you to do that again tomorrow,” Dean sighed.

“You won’t be saying that in the morning,” Cas chuckled.  “I’m sure you will be sore.  I’m sorry that I was so rough, I couldn’t seem to restrain myself any longer.”

“I am not sorry about that at all,” Dean announced.  “And I definitely will want you again when we wake up.”

Cas smiled, laying a kiss on the top of his boyfriend’s head.  “You say that now.”

“I’m always going to want you,” Dean said seriously.  “Always.”

Castiel was touched and overcome with a well of emotion that he couldn’t quite identify. He had never been in love before, but this man had waltzed into his life so suddenly, and now Castiel was beginning to wonder if _Dean_ had been what was missing all along.

* * *

 

The days blended together for both sets of brothers as they continued to explore their new relationships.  Now that Cas and Dean had finally ‘popped their cherries’ on each other, they were pretty much glued into one person.  Gabriel took the opportunity to tease them both mercilessly when they acted so sugary sweet—especially if they were in public.  Sam would let the mocking happen for a little while before he would threaten his boyfriend with their own cheesy display of affection.  It never worked though, because Gabriel had no shame and always jumped at the chance to get his hands on Sam.

Whether they were all out together, doing double dates at The Pan-ty Dropper, or spending the evenings just as a lone couple, they were happy.  Gabriel was showing no signs of impending commitment-phobia just yet; and Dean began bringing boxes of his things over to Castiel’s each night after work.

They loved and laughed, bickered and teased, and had a _lot_ of sex.  Each of the four men were starting to think that something was finally falling into place in their lives.  Something that had been missing was clicking into place like the last piece of a puzzle.

And time slipped away happily for both couples.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanksgiving for the gang.  
> Sam and Gabriel have some NSFW sexiness...

_Thanksgiving Day…_

Gabe was dragging large jugs of vegetable oil into the kitchen, grinning like a fool.  Castiel eyed his brother warily and commented that he was skeptical about a fried Thanksgiving turkey.  “It’s going to be delicious,” Gabe said.  “Just wait.”

Sam was looking out of the large glass doors into the backyard, watching the snow as it began to fall in large, fluffy flakes.  “It’s supposed to do this all night,” he gestured outside at the weather.

“Good thing you’re staying here then, kiddo,” Gabe said.  “You guys too,” he glanced up at Cas.  “Jody and the rugrats are welcome as well.  I have plenty of guest rooms if the snow gets too bad.”

“Thanks, Gabe,” Sam smiled softly at his boyfriend.  Gabriel was generous to a fault, Sam had learned over the last few months.  Especially toward those that he cared for.  He moved away from the window and slid up behind Gabe’s back, his arms circling the shorter man’s waist.  “I’m sorry Lucifer couldn’t be here.”

Their older surgeon brother, had called a few days earlier saying something about black-out vacation dates that had just been implemented at his hospital.  It sounded completely made-up the way Luci had described it.  Both Cas and Gabe had pretended that they didn’t care, but Sam knew better.  They had a somewhat cordial relationship with him and only got to see him basically once a year.  He was sure the sudden change in plans stung, and he tried to be supportive.  The timing just seemed off and Sam couldn’t quite figure out why.

Cas was pulling soft dough out of the bread making machine, while Gabe and Sam snuck kisses when the doorbell rang, clanging through the house.  “That’ll be them,” Gabe smiled, pecking Sam on the lips.  “Can you get the door, Samshine?  I’ll be right there.”

“Sure,” Sam pulled away reluctantly and went to greet their guests.  He unlocked the front door, watching the distorted silhouettes treading on the top step outside.

“Do you know what I had to do to get today off work?” Jody asked as she fell through the front door of Gabriel’s house, her arms full of foil-covered plates.  Alex and Claire were behind her each holding a large pie.

“Overtime?” Sam guessed correctly.

“It was horrible,” Jody griped, but she was smiling.  “I don’t think I’ve slept in two days.”

“Happy Thanksgiving,” Sam smiled at the three of them.

Gabe popped up behind Sam and grinned at them, forcing Sam to open the door even wider.  “Get in here!  It’s like, twenty below out there.”

They all tromped in, shaking snow off of their boots onto the mat, causing Sam to wince.  Sam had Googled the rug and found out it was a genuine Persian carpet which was estimated at over sixty-four thousand dollars.  He tried to convince Gabe to move it somewhere else due to its value, but his boyfriend had just smiled at him and said he needed a place for guests to wipe their feet.  Sam was still slightly horrified by that.

“This is a beautiful rug,” Jody said suspiciously as she pulled off her slush-covered boots.

“Oh that,” Gabe said dismissively.  “I picked up in Iran on business.  It’s kind of garish, but I like it.” 

Sam rolled his eyes and leaned down to whisper in Jody’s ear.  “Don’t let him lie to you.  That thing costs more than Dean’s car.”  Jody looked up at him sharply and practically jumped off of the carpet, pushing at the girls to do the same.

Gabe started randomly gesturing in different directions, telling the women where different rooms were located.  He smiled warmly at Claire and Alex.  “If you want to hand off those delicious baked goods, you can head down to the basement.  Dean’s down there, hiding.  I think he set up the new Halo on the Xbox in the theatre.”

“The theatre?” Alex asked.

“It’s legit,” Sam promised.  “Gabe has his own Netflix worth of DVDs down there too.”

The two teens shoved the pies into Sam and Gabriel’s arms and took off.  “Please don’t break anything,” Jody called after them.  “I can’t afford to replace things,” she muttered to Sam.

“I honestly don’t think Gabriel gives a flying fuck about material possessions,” he whispered to her as they followed Gabe into the kitchen.  “Now, if you invade his candy stash—that’s another story.”

Cas was in the kitchen forming bread dough into small rolls.  He looked up when they all entered and smiled.  “Hello, Jody.”

“Hiya Cas,” she said depositing her plates onto the counter.  “Make sure that Dean knows Donna made those pies just for him,” she told Castiel.

“Where is she today?” the librarian asked kindly.

“She went to Minnesota to see her family for the holidays,” Jody informed him.  “But she’s coming for dinner next week and she wants to meet all of you.”

The Sheriff jumped in and started helping, while Gabe pulled Sam outside to set up the large deep fryer.  “So he’s really going to go through with that?” Jody waved a spatula at the two men outside.

Castiel rolled his eyes.  “My brother likes to experiment.”

“Well I’m excited to try it.  I just hope he doesn’t burn the house down.”

Once the rolls were ready to be baked, Jody called down to the basement for Dean and the girls.  They all bundled up and stomped out to the patio to watch Gabe lower the turkey into the fryer.  Cas stood directly behind his brother pointing a fire extinguisher at him which made Dean chuckle.

A little over an hour later, the golden brown bird was removed from the bubbling oil and carried inside by Sam.  They all crowded around the immense carved table in Gabriel’s dining room, laughing and joking as they passed the dishes around to one another.  Everyone said what they were thankful for that year, which was mostly pretty sappy, and they dug in.

Once their stomachs were full to the bursting and the adults had consumed _way_ too much alcohol, they all gathered in the kitchen to help clean up.  Jody tried to convince Sam and Gabe to leave the rest of them to work, since they were hosting, but Gabriel refused and pitched right in.  It took a long time to clean up the accumulated mess, but it was fun for everyone despite the chore.

When Jody and the girls went to say ‘goodnight,’ they opened the front door to find almost two feet of snow covering Gabe’s winding driveway.  “Yeah, that’s not happening,” Gabe told them, pulling everyone back inside.

He waved off Jody’s protests and directed them to three of the immaculate upstairs guest rooms.  “Please don’t argue with him,” Cas said to her.  “He would hate for me to say it but he’d probably panic the whole time if you tried to drive in this weather.  Which, in turn, would upset Sam.”

Jody agreed after that and settled in gratefully for the night.  She begged off and went to bed since she had to be up around four in the morning to get to the station, but the girls commandeered the remotes for Gabe’s movie theatre and retreated to the basement.  Dean and Castiel stayed with them in the library for one drink before Dean practically dragged the younger Novak upstairs, shutting the door behind them.  “And then there were two,” Gabriel grinned at Sam.

Earlier, Sam had built up the wood fireplace in the library for some ambience and it was merrily crackling away, the only light in the room.  They listened to Cas and Dean walk up the staircase, each receding footstep bring Gabe and Sam that much closer.

They met in front of the fireplace, crashing together in a frenzied kiss.  Gabe was pulling at Sam, grasping desperately at the younger man.  Sam felt Gabriel’s tongue slide into his mouth and he instinctively opened to accept him.  Their hands raked along skin and through each other’s hair with need.

“Fuck, I’ve wanted to do that all day,” Gabe huffed.

“Me too,” Sam captured his boyfriend’s lips again.

They awkwardly moved down, ending up kneeling on the rug in front of the fire, shedding clothes as they went.  “Is the door locked?” Sam asked.  He knew his brother had closed it, but there was still the chance that someone could walk in.

“Fuck if I know, or care,” Gabe said into Sam’s mouth.

Sam melted into the touch.  His boyfriend had a strange effect on him.  He would have never considered having sex in a semi-public place before, but Gabe made him want to do reckless things.  He found himself wanting to give everything to this man.  “Gabe,” he whispered.

“Mmm,” Gabe hummed, kissing Sam’s neck.

“I want—“ Sam broke off with a moan.

“I’ll give you anything you want, kiddo,” Gabe said, running his palms along Sam’s chest.

Sam pushed against Gabriel’s chest and tried to slow things down for a moment.  His boyfriend looked up at him confused and worried.  “What’s wrong?” Gabe asked.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Sam reassured him.  He ducked his head and fingered one of Gabriel’s nipples.  “I, um,” Sam knew he needed to just spit it out.  “I want you.”

“Yeah, I kind of got that,” Gabe slid his eyes to Sam’s prominent erection, straining his pants.  Sam tried to laugh, but he was too nervous.  He was worried how Gabe was going to react to his request.  “You’re kind of freaking me out,” Gabe said after Sam wouldn’t look him in the eyes.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Gabe touched his cheek tenderly.  “You can tell me whatever you want, you know.”

Sam knew.  He did.  He just hadn’t asked for this before.  He knew Gabe would totally be on board, but he didn’t want to startle the guy.  He stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth and looked down into Gabriel’s eyes.  They looked amazing in the firelight.  “I want you,” he said, taking a deep breath.  “To fuck _me._ ”

Gabriel’s breath caught and he stared openly at Sam.  “Are you sure, Sam?”

He nodded firmly.  “I’ve wanted it for a while, I just,” Sam paused.  “Didn’t really know how to ask?”

“I’m happy to oblige,” Gabe said.  “I’ve wanted to do that since I first saw you.  But I don’t want to rush you into this if you aren’t ready.”

“I’m ready,” Sam promised.  “Like, seriously ready.  Just,” he worried his lip, “go easy on me?”

“I will,” Gabriel was uncharacteristically serious.

Sam nodded, trusting him.  He completely trusted Gabriel with this—and he knew it was going to be good.  He lay back on the rug, pulling off his pants with haste.  Gabriel was just watching him, seemingly in a slight state of shock.  When he was naked, Sam propped himself up onto his right elbow and opened his legs, keeping his eyes on his boyfriend.

“What?” Gabriel shook his head and asked.

“I said your name five times,” Sam was smiling.  “Are you doing all right?”

“Never better,” Gabriel sounded gruff.  He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small tube of lubrication and a single condom.

“Really?” Sam chuckled.

“I had hopes,” Gabe laughed.  “For sex.  Not for _this_ exactly, but hopes.  This is just a bonus.”

“Do you not want to do this?” Sam’s heart ratcheted up.  Had he pushed Gabe too far, too fast?

“Fuck no,” Gabe almost shouted.  “I _really_ want this.  I’m just worried about you.”

Sam smiled at his boyfriend’s concern.  Gabe acted tough, but when it was just the two of them he was a giant fluffy teddy bear.  “Stop thinking and put your dick in me.”

“Shit,” Gabe hissed through his teeth.  “You’re killing me, kiddo.”  Gabe popped open the lube, slicking up his fingers.  He moved closer to Sam, watching the younger man’s face carefully.  “I’m not fucking joking around right now, Samuel,” Gabe pressed his finger to Sam’s entrance.  “If you’re uncomfortable physically or mentally or full of weird fucking feelings at all—tell me immediately.  I’ll be fucking pissed off if you end up regretting this tomorrow.  I don’t want to hurt you in any way.”

“You could never hurt me,” Sam was confident.  “And I won’t regret anything that I ever do with you.”

Gabe watched his eyes for a moment before he nodded.  He didn’t speak a word.  He simply kept eye contact with Sam as he slipped one finger into Sam’s tight heat.  The younger man gasped at the feeling.  It was heavy and strange, but he knew that he wanted more.  He made a weird sound that he couldn’t recall ever uttering before in his life and lifted his hips ever so slightly.

“Calm down, Samsquach,” Gabe teased him.  “I’m taking my time with this.”

“As long as you’re enjoying yourself, Gabe,” Sam smiled indulgently up at him.

“You too, kiddo,” Gabe fixed him with a look.  He moved his finger so slightly, pressing in further, watching Sam’s face.  Sam felt his boyfriend’s finger curl inside of him, touching something—something amazing.  He shouted and involuntarily clenched his inner muscles.  “Remember when we first started this,” Gabe was saying, moving his hand around and making Sam want to cry with ecstasy.  “I told you this would be amazing.”

“You weren’t,” Sam gulped, “fucking wrong.  Shit, Gabe!”  His boyfriend stopped moving and was staring at him.  Sweat dripped into Sam’s eyes and he hissed, kind of mad that Gabriel was leaving him hanging.  He knew the other man was being cautious, but damn!  Sam wanted more.  “Can you put in another one?”

Gabriel regarded him with narrowed eyes for a split second and then Sam felt another finger breach him.  It was ridiculously hot the way that Gabe wasn’t taking his eyes off of Sam’s face, and the younger man pressed forward, begging silently for more.

Sam lost himself in the sensations, his legs falling to the side, his head thrown back.  The light of the fire washed over them and Gabe continued to carefully work him open.  He felt blissed out and so needy that he began to whimper.  The soft noises sped up when Gabriel pressed a third finger deep into him.

Moving without realization, Sam pushed down, wanting, _needing_ more.  He barely noticed when Gabriel’s hand disappeared and the crinkle of the condom wrapper echoed through the library.  He repeated his boyfriend’s name over and over, asking him in one word to come back to him.

And then he was there.  Gabriel was above him, nestled in between his thighs, pressing against him.  Sam felt Gabe’s cock nudge at his hole and then came the burn.  He hadn’t been prepared for that.  The amount of times he’d sucked his boyfriend off had given him intimate knowledge that Gabe was well-endowed.  He looked even bigger since he was physically so much smaller than Sam.  Clenching his eyes shut and gritting his teeth, Sam cried brokenly.

Immediately, Gabe stilled over him.  He was probably only an inch inside, but he felt huge and Sam tried to relax.  “Talk to me,” Gabriel said sharply.

“Keep going,” Sam begged, his eyes closed tightly.

“Nope,” Gabriel was braced over him and completely still.  “Samuel?”  Gabe never used his full name unless he was being absolutely serious.  Sam forced his eyes open and gasped at the look of concern on Gabriel’s face.

“Please,” Sam said softly.  “I need… _you_.”  He knew he was whining, but he wanted Gabe to take him.  He needed this to happen, right now, in this moment, with this man.  Sam’s hands were fisted in the rug and he pulled himself up a little and grasped Gabriel’s arm—hard.  “Do this for me?”

“Fuck,” Gabriel whispered.  It sounded like both a curse and a prayer.  He pushed forward in one smooth glide, seating himself deep into Sam’s body.

Sam hissed.  “Holy…fuck…god…shit.”

He was still gripping Gabe’s arm and bracing himself with his left.  He looked up and met his boyfriend’s eyes.  They were dark gold and staring straight through him, right into Sam’s fucking soul.  They stayed unmoving for what felt like years.  Finally Gabriel grit his teeth and said, “I’m going to move.”

Sam could only nod.  He felt full and complete and fuck—he really thought he was in love right now.  That was dumb, he knew.  He’d fucked up by saying the actual words all those nights ago at the bar.  He and Gabe hadn’t talked about it since then.  Sam knew that as crazy as it was, he’d meant those words that night.  But he wasn’t going to say it.  Not now.  He didn’t want Gabe to get the impression that it was spontaneous and driven by the heat of the moment.

He could feel Gabe backing out of him and he clenched his fingers into the other man’s arm even tighter.  “I’m not going anywhere,” Gabe told him.

“More,” was all Sam could manage.

He felt the pressure and then Gabe was back.  He moaned and moved his hips gently, testing the feel.  It was amazing.  Before Sam knew it, Gabe was rocking into him, still gently, but with definite purpose.  Why had he waited so long to try this?  It was wonderful and it was—fuck!  Sam’s eyes flew open and he shouted, clenching the muscles of his ass.  “What?” he choked out.

“Prostate, kiddo,” Gabe smiled at him.  “Told you it was a good time.”

“Do it again,” Sam begged.  “Do it now!”

He was vaguely aware that Gabe was kind of laughing at him as he continued to press deep into Sam’s body.  Soon enough, they were both panting and covered in a thin film of sweat.  All talking had ceased and they were both fully engrossed in one another.  Gabriel’s rhythm had increased, and Sam knew that while his boyfriend wanted to be gentle, there was only so much restraint he could expect.

“I’m—“ Sam gasped.

“—Coming,” Gabe finished.

His lover hit that incredible spot once more and stilled above him.  Sam felt a warm rush as Gabe filled the condom and he let go.  He came, untouched, spurting hot cum over his stomach.  They were both frozen in time, gasping for air.  Sam let out a pitiful whine when Gabe slipped free.  To his surprise, the older man didn’t lay down next to him.  He moved up, crawling over Sam’s long torso and kissed him soundly.  “How are you?” Gabe asked softly against his cheek.

“Amazing.”

After they had recovered, and Gabe had tossed the used condom in a waste basket near the wall, they gathered up their clothes.  Sam went to pull his shirt back over his head and caught Gabe grinning at him.  “No way, kiddo,” his boyfriend said.  “No clothes for you.”  Sam cocked his head in a question.  “Race you up the stairs.”  And Gabe was off like a shot—buck naked, holding his clothes in his arms.  Sam stared after him, watching his boyfriend’s firm, bare ass disappear around the corner—and the chase was on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the last chapter for today! And I apologize, but I most likely won't be able to update tomorrow since I'll be at work for about twelve hours straight. Hope everyone had a great holiday!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new development...

The shrill, insistent ring of Jody’s cell phone in the middle of the night woke most of them up from a dead slumber.  After the noise blared away three different times, Sam, Gabe and Dean all dressed and wandered out into the upstairs hallway, colliding with the Sheriff.  Dean had tried to wake Cas but his boyfriend had hit him with a pillow and growled like a bear.  Cas was a big advocate of beauty sleep.

They all nodded at each other, bleary, wondering what was going on.  Jody was rubbing sleep from her eyes and looking apologetic.  “Fuck, I’m sorry,” she said.  “I didn’t mean to wake everyone up.”

“What’s going on?  Is everything okay?” Sam asked with concern.

“Yeah,” Jody waved.  “I don’t know.  I have to go into the station.  Someone is asking for me and they’re refusing to leave.  I guess it’s getting kind of ugly.”

“You want a ride?” Dean yawned.

She glanced down at her watch.  It was half past three in the morning.  “Naw,” she said.  “Roads should be cleared by now.  I’ll be good.”

“Let us know when you get to the station,” Sam requested.

“Will do,” she gave him a snappy salute.

Gabe shuffled in the doorway of his room.  “I can get the girls back to your house later today.  Do they have a key?”

Nodding, Jody yawned, her jaw cracking loudly.  “Yeah, Claire does.  Thanks you guys.  You’re the best.  I’m sorry to run out like this.”

“You’ve got a job to do,” Dean told her.  “We get it.  Be careful though, okay?”

Jody smiled and left.  The three men stood in the hallway, each trying to decide if it was worth it to try and go back to sleep.  “Well, I’m up,” Dean decided.  Besides, Cas would probably smother him if he crawled back into bed and disturbed him.  “I’ll make coffee.”

“Okay, thanks, Dean,” Sam said to his brother. 

He moved to follow Dean down the stairs, but Gabe snagged the cuff of his worn t-shirt.  “Not so fast young man,” he teased.

Dean shook his head at them and went downstairs alone.  Sam turned to look at his boyfriend.  “Shower?” Gabe suggested.

“I guess I _do_ feel dirty,” Sam chuckled.

“Kiddo,” Gabe smiled.  “I am going to get you _filthy_ —you can clean up later.”

* * *

Sam and Gabriel didn’t emerge from the shower for over an hour, and by that time Dean had started making omelets for everyone.  Dean made sure to give his brother some good-natured ribbing about neglecting his guests just to get some action, which made Gabe cackle.  Castiel slumped down the stairs looking disheveled and annoyed about fifteen minutes later, complaining about the racket.

“Let me kiss it better, angel,” Dean said, leaning in with his lips puckered.  Cas pushed his face away and went to pour some coffee, grumbling.  “I still like you, even though you’re being mean,” Dean called after him.

They piled their plates with food and sat along the breakfast bar in the large, open kitchen.  Gabriel popped some champagne insisting on mimosas because he and Sam were ‘celebrating a relationship milestone,’ which Dean really didn’t want to know about.

Eventually they were loud enough to disturb the girls.  Alex and Claire joined them, stuffing their faces with cheesy eggs.  Sam was explaining that Jody had been called away in the night when Dean’s cell phone rang in his pocket.  He fished it out and frowned at the caller ID.  “Who is it?” Cas asked.

“I don’t know,” Dean said, setting his phone on the table without answering.

Sam’s phone went off next and when he didn’t recognize the number, it was silenced and ignored.  Dean’s cell beeped with a voicemail and he decided to check it, walking to the other side of the room, so not to disturb anyone.  It was Jody, saying two words, “Call me.”  Dean wondered why she wasn’t calling from her cell, which he had saved in his contacts.  Just as he was about to hit redial on the mysterious number, his phone jumped in his hand displaying the same unknown caller once more.  This time Dean picked up right away.  “Jody?  What’s going on?  You okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said, her voice flat.  “Dean, I don’t know how to say this,” she paused.

“Spit it out,” he requested.

“You know how I said there was a belligerent guy at the station asking for me?”

“Yeah?” Dean didn’t like the way this was going.

“It’s your dad.”  Dean almost dropped the phone.

* * *

“What the fuck are you saying?” Sam was shouting.

Claire and Alex had hurried upstairs to grab their few belongings.  Gabriel said he would drive them home before coming to meet everyone else at the station.  Cas had hurriedly cleaned up as much of their breakfast mess as he could, while Dean and Sam stood in the foyer trying to figure out what they were going to do.

“I don’t know, Sam,” Dean yelled back.  “Jody just said that dad was at the station looking for us.”

“How does he know that we’re here?”

“It’s not like we moved to Russia,” Dean levelled him.  “I’m sure we weren’t that hard to track down.  And he knows we lived here with Jody before—not a big stretch of the imagination.”

“It’s been two months though,” Sam pressed.  “Why would he come now?”

“I don’t _know_ ,” Dean began to pace along the marble floor.  “Can we just fucking _go_ and find out?  I can’t keep answering your stupid questions, Sam!” 

Sam looked hurt, but he knew his brother went to a dark place whenever their father was around.  Even in the year since John had resurfaced back in Kansas, Sam had been the one to really make an effort with the man.  Dean did his best to avoid their dad at all costs.  “Hey,” Gabriel said sharply from the top of the stairs, glaring down at them.  Alex and Claire flanked him, both girls looking uncomfortable.  “I know family shit can fucking suck, Dean, but that doesn’t mean you get to be an ass to your brother.”

“It’s fine, Gabe,” Sam said in a placating tone.

“No,” Dean glowered.  “He’s right.  Sorry, Sammy.”  He reached over and pulled his brother into a tight, fast embrace.  “Okay, that’s enough.”  Dean stepped away, staring at the floor as though it had personally offended him.

Gabriel sauntered down the stairs, the teens following, waiting as he stopped to give Sam a quick kiss.  He pressed a set of keys into Sam’s large palm.  “Take the Humvee, it has four-wheel drive and it’s still pretty shitty out there.”

“Thanks,” Sam told him.  “Come on, let’s get this over with.”

They gathered up Castiel from the kitchen and headed outside.  Sam was the only one who didn’t seem to have to hoist himself up into Gabriel’s giant vehicle.  Dean grumbled something about ‘compensating’ which made Sam roll his eyes as they left the house.  The drive across town to the Sheriff’s Station was quiet.  Cas sat in the middle of the backseat, staring absently at Dean who was glowering out of the window.

Sam saw Dean shifting in his seat out of the corner of his eye and sighed, knowing exactly what his older brother was thinking.  “I’m not going faster,” he said.  “The roads are slick and I don’t think the plows have been through for a few hours.”

Dean mumbled something under his breath and Cas leaned forward slightly, poking his head in between the Winchesters.  “It’s always wise to observe hazardous road conditions.”

“Um, yeah, thanks Cas,” Sam said awkwardly.  Dean grunted at his boyfriend and pointedly stared out of his window again.

They pulled into the visitor’s parking lot and shut the large behemoth off.  They sat, watching the snow fall in silence, none of them wanting to go inside and face what was waiting there.  “If you prefer, I could wait here,” Cas offered.

“No,” Dean shuffled around a little to glance at him.  “I need you.”  He banged his shoulder against the door and flung it open, stepping down into the snow without another word.

“Don’t take it personally,” Sam tried.  “He and our dad…it’s not good.”

“I’m aware of the basics,” Cas told him.  “I want to be supportive, but I’m afraid of making things worse.”

“I doubt you could do that,” Sam said honestly.  “Dean’s different with you.  Calmer.  Less…abrasive, I guess.”  They fell silent, watching Dean angrily stomp his boots in the snow.  “Let’s go,” Sam finally said.

Jody was waiting for them inside, still wearing her jeans and cable-knit sweater from the night before.  She looked harried and somewhat out-of-place without the uniform in her workplace.  “I’m so sorry,” she blurted out as they walked over to her.

“It isn’t your fault,” Sam insisted.  “Just…what’s going on?”

“Okay,” Jody gulped.  “I spoke with him, and he seemed pretty straight-forward about everything.  I even double-checked his driver’s license to make sure he wasn’t lying about who he was before I called you.”

The Winchesters nodded.  Jody hadn’t actually ever met their dad before, so it made sense.  She glanced behind her and took Sam’s elbow, leading the group away from the main counter.  “A few nights after you boys left Kansas, he got into a bar fight.”  Sam sucked in his breath and Dean just snorted.  “He was arrested and put in the drunk tank for the weekend.  The judge ordered thirty days in lock-up and mandatory rehab counselling since this wasn’t his first offense.”

“He tell you all this?” Dean finally spoke.

Jody nodded solemnly.  “I also confirmed it with a detective I know in Lawrence, Rufus Turner.  He vouched for everything your dad told me.”  Dean nodded and then waved his hand to get her to continue.  “Part of the mandatory rehab included a two-week stint at a center where he was required to stay on the grounds, monitored at all times.  He didn’t have access to a phone.”

“That puts us at about a week and a half ago,” Sam said, doing the calculations.

“John said that as soon as he could, he filed a Missing Person’s report on you two with the Lawrence Police Department.”

“Jesus,” Dean groaned.

“They got a hit on Monday by running your credit cards, but it took some time to confirm,” Jody told them.  “Basically, once he knew where you boys were, he jumped in his truck and drove all night through a blizzard to get here.  He showed up at the station around one in the morning asking for me.”

“Why you?” Sam wondered.

“Your dad and I never met, but when I got custody of you two, he signed off on the paperwork.  He always knew who I was and where we lived in case he wanted to reach out.”

“Well, he didn’t,” Dean snapped.

“No,” Jody gave him a sympathetic look.  “When he found out you had come back to Sioux Falls, he knew that I was probably his best shot at finding you quickly.”

“Fuck,” Sam breathed.  “Do we have to see him?”

“Absolutely not,” Jody said firmly.  “I called you so that you had a heads-up.  He wants to see you though, but it is entirely your decision.  I’ll back your play here.”

Sam glanced at his brother, his eyes searching.  “Dean?”

The older Winchester remained quiet, staring at the floor.  The silence was oppressive and tinged with an undertone of panic.  Dean looked up, his eyes bright, but his jaw set.  “Cas,” he breathed.  “What do I do?”

Castiel looked startled, which was unusual.  He placed his hand on Dean’s shoulder and squeezed.  “Only you can decide that, Dean.  But I am here for you, whatever you decide.”

“Shit,” Dean wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.  He looked to Jody with a determined glint to his eyes.  “Okay, where is he?”

“I had him wait in my office,” she said.  “It will give you a little privacy.” 

She started to walk away when Sam spoke up.  “Jody, Gabe’s on his way over once he drops Claire and Alex at home.  Could you…?”

“I’ll bring him back when he gets here.”

“Thanks.”

The melancholy party of four trudged reluctantly back to Jody’s office.  Dean reached for Cas’ hand and he felt guilt rise, knowing that Sam was wishing that he wasn’t alone right now.  His heart ached for Sam, and he slung his arm up over his little brother’s shoulder, pulling Sammy to his side.  He’d spent his life taking care of his brother, and while Dean knew that Sam was beginning to lean on Gabriel, he wasn’t about to give up twenty-eight years of habit.  Jody led the trio away as they remained in physical contact to try and muster enough comfort to face what was waiting for them.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Novaks 'Meet the Parent.'  
> Some fluffy crap...  
> Claire makes an announcement.

John Winchester slouched in a rickety chair in Jody Mills’ office.  His clothes were clean, but patched and worn.  His skin had a greyish tinge and there were the signs of dark bags under his eyes.  He looked like he’d been through the ringer.  Sam felt a tug of sympathy for his dad, but he kept his face stoic for Dean’s sake.  Deep down, Sam held out hope that this would all be okay, but he knew that his brother had run for a reason.

The three Winchesters eyed each other when Jody opened the door.  She told them to take as long as they needed and left them alone with their father and Castiel, who was hovering behind Dean.  “God, it’s good to see you boys,” John said in a strained voice.

He stepped toward them, lifting his arms as though he was going for an embrace.  Dean stepped back slightly which threw John off balance.  “What are you doing here?” Dean asked angrily.

Their father looked hurt, and a flash of anger came and went from his face.  “I’ve been looking for _you._ ”

“Well, you found us,” Dean said.

“Dad, are you okay?” Sam asked with concern.  His father had always been a little rough, between their mother’s death and the drinking, but he looked truly horrible at the moment.

“I’m fine,” John raked his hand over his face.  “It was a bad drive.  I should have waited a day or two until the storm passed.  But when I got word about you two, I didn’t stop to think—I just started driving.”  He looked over Dean’s shoulder and seemed to finally register that there was someone else in the room.  “Who’s this?”

Dean barely glanced at Cas.  “None of your business.”

“Dean!” Sam glared at his brother.  This was no time for Dean to stick his foot in his mouth by making his boyfriend feel like shit.

Cas placed a hand on each of the Winchester brother’s shoulders and stepped toward John.  “It’s fine, Sam,” he said calmly.  “I’m Castiel Novak, sir,” he spoke to their dad.  Cas held out his hand and John took it after a moment of hesitation.

“You a lawyer or something?” John asked, confused.

“No.  I’m a librarian.”

John glanced between his two sons, even more unsure at Cas’ words.  “Why—“  A knock interrupted them and Jody opened the door, revealing Gabriel standing next to her.

“Can anyone join this party?” Gabe asked stepping into the office and sliding in next to Sam.  “You okay, kiddo?”

“I’m good now,” Sam’s voice was soft as he addressed his lover.

John was staring at them, noticing that Gabe had entwined his hand around Sam’s.  He didn’t comment on it though, which Sam took as a positive sign.  “Hi,” Gabe used his free palm to shake with John.  “Gabriel Novak.”

“You two are brothers?” John asked.

“Unfortunately,” Cas said under his breath.

“Sam?” John looked at his youngest.  “Is there something you want to tell me?”  His eyes slid to Sam and Gabe’s fingers for a split second.

Dean stepped forward and almost blocked Sam bodily from their father.  “Sam doesn’t have to talk to you about anything.”

“Dean,” John whispered.

“No,” the older son cut him off.  “Something came up and we had to get out of town.  It’s not like we actually owe you an explanation.  You never gave one to us when you would disappear for months at a time when we were kids.”

John actually flinched at that.  “Uh, Dean-o?” Gabe started.

Sam silenced his boyfriend and took a step toward his father.  “Dad, I told Dean that I’m bisexual.”  There was a heavy silence in the room.  “He thought it would be best to not tell you about it and we left.  I’m really sorry if we worried you.”  He looked fondly at Gabriel.  “Gabe is my boyfriend.”

Dean snorted, but John was nodded solemnly at his younger son.  “Well if Sammy can nut up, I damn sure can,” Dean sounded almost petulant.  “I’m bi too, and Cas gives it to me every night.”  He held out his hands, daring his father to make a comment.

“Gross, Dean,” Sam muttered.

John glanced between his two boys for a beat and everyone was holding their breath.  Cas resting his hand on Dean’s shoulder and Gabe gave Sam’s fingers a small squeeze.  “I know,” John said finally.

“What?” the Winchester brothers spoke as one.

“I’ve known since you were both just kids,” John said simply.  “Dean, you were never very subtle when checking people out.  It was blatant.  And Sam,” he smiled at his youngest.  “You were never happy with all those little girls that you had following you around in middle school.  Also, you talked _way_ too much about that actor, Johnathon Taylor Whoever to not be giving off vibes.”

Dean seemed to be contemplating that, and Sam knew his dad was correct.  He watched ‘Home Improvement’ when he was a kid like it was a religion, and he wasn’t even a fan of sitcoms.  “You knew—this whole time?”

“Yeah,” John nodded sadly.  “I figured you boys would talk to me about it when you were ready, so I didn’t push.”

“So we never had to leave Lawrence,” Sam looked sharply at Dean.  His brother was looking at the floor and toeing the tile with his boots.  “Dean you just _reacted,_ didn’t you?  You never even _talked_ to dad about this at all!”

“I thought I knew what he was going to say,” Dean mumbled.

John looked distraught.  “I know I haven’t always been there for you,” he said.  “But I am so sorry if I’ve ever done, or said, _anything_ to make either of you think that I wouldn’t love you.  No matter what.”  He looked mostly to Sam because Dean wouldn’t meet anyone’s gaze.  “I am so sorry, boys.  That was never my intention.  Never.”

When John’s voice hitched, Sam let go of Gabriel and pulled his father into a tight hug.  The two men embraced warmly.  “I’m sorry we took off and made you worry,” Sam told him when they broke apart.

“I guess I had it coming,” John tried.  “For all the times I pulled the same shit on you two.”

“Dad?” Dean moved toward them.

Father and son looked at one another before John wordlessly opened his arms and hugged his oldest boy.  Dean slumped into the touch and rested his forehead on his father’s broad shoulder.  “Dean,” John whispered.  “I am so proud of you.”

Dean pulled back and looked into his dad’s eyes.  They were tired and haggard, but full of warmth and affection.  Sam knew that Dean had waited his entire life to hear those words, and it filled him with happiness.  “You took care of Sam.  You did what you thought was best for him.  I can’t fault you for that, son.”

“Shit,” a tear slid down Dean’s cheek and he slapped it away.  “I’m sorry I doubted you, sir.”

“Don’t fucking call me, ‘sir,’” John admonished playfully.  “I’m sorry that I’ve never given you any reason to come to me when things happen.  That’s on me and I’ll never forgive myself for doing that to you.”

Sam joined his family and the three Winchesters collapsed into a quick, hard group hug.  When they separated, they were all smiling just a little.  “Now,” John said.  “Can I get some proper introductions?”

“Yeah,” Sam said happily.

The Novaks were re-introduced to John Winchester with the ‘b-word’ in use.  He didn’t press either of them, simply saying that he was glad to see his sons so happy for once.  He spoke a little to Castiel about his work, which caused the slightly awkward man to open up.  John also teased Gabriel, saying that he looked like more than Sam could handle, which made Gabe laugh and agree.

* * *

Later, when Cas and Dean were driving home, Cas could tell that his boyfriend was drained.  He wasn’t sure what to do or say to help, and he didn’t want to overstep.  He busied himself in the kitchen, making some large sandwiches, since that required practically no cooking prowess whatsoever.  Dean took a long shower while Cas prepared lunch.

At the Sheriff’s Station, Dean had given his father the key to their mostly unused apartment so that he wouldn’t have to pay for a motel that night.  John had been graceful with his acceptance.  They also decided to meet at Jody’s house for dinner the next night so that they could catch up and get to know one another some more.  Gabe had suggested going to the bar, but he was shot down by both of the Winchester brothers with a laugh.

Cas was spreading mayo thickly onto the slices of bread when Dean walked in, his hair still glistening with water.  He smiled at his boyfriend and brought the sandwiches over to the table once he was finished.  “I thought you would be hungry.”

Dean took a large bite and nodded.  “Thanks,” he said.  “This helps.”

“Are you all right?” Cas was concerned.  He knew that Dean liked to avoid emotions in any form, and that morning’s events had to be weighing on him.

His boyfriend nodded again, continuing to eat.  “I feel like an asshole,” Dean finally said.

Cas tilted his head and waited.  “I mean, I just grabbed Sammy and we took off.  And the whole time, my dad didn’t care.  He wasn’t going to judge us or hurt Sam’s feelings.  He wouldn’t have pushed us away or said something horrible about it.  I just feel…” Dean trailed off.  “I feel kind of shitty about it.  I should have talked to him, but I ran.”  He snorted and set his sandwich down.  “I guess I need to work on that, huh?”

He didn’t really want to say anything in regards to _that_ statement, so Castiel remained quiet for a while.  “You’re that surprised by his reaction?”

“I don’t know,” Dean said.  “I jumped to conclusions.  I made up my mind what my dad was going to say and do—and I was wrong.  I’m not used to that.  I’m usually pretty good at figuring out sticky situations.”

“So, you’re still angry,” Cas worked out.  “But not at your father—with yourself?”

“Yeah,” Dean sighed.  “I know, shocking.”

“Not really.”

“I was being sarcastic, Cas,” Dean smiled at him.

“Oh,” Castiel squinted.  “I promise that I will get better at realizing that.”

“Don’t,” Dean took Cas’ hand.  “I kind of like it.  Makes you even cuter.”

“I am not cute,” Cas growled.  He smiled internally at the reaction Dean got from his tone.  He knew that his boyfriend was always turned on when he spoke powerfully.  Dean had a little bit of a submissive kink and Cas couldn’t wait to explore that as their relationship progressed.

“My mistake,” Dean gulped slightly.  “Care to give me a demonstration?  Cheer me up a little?”

“With pleasure.”  They raced down the hall to the bedroom and stayed there for the rest of the night. 

* * *

“I don’t really feel like cooking after yesterday,” Gabriel announced when they got back home.  “Would you kill me if we just reheated some leftovers?  I really would prefer not to die tonight.”

“I’m fine with that,” Sam said.  “We have plenty, and I don’t want to waste it.”

They moved to the kitchen, pulling sealed Tupperware out of the fridge and lining everything up on the counter.  Gabe handed Sam some plates and they set to work making large piles of last night’s Thanksgiving meal.  Once it was warmed and they were at the table, Gabe watched his boyfriend carefully.  Sam knew that Gabriel wanted to check on him, but he wouldn’t push.

Taking pity on the other man’s obvious curiosity, Sam smiled at him.  “I’m fine.”

“I know.”

“Your shoulders are all tense and you keep staring at me.  You’re worried,” Sam observed.

“I can’t help it,” Gabe said.  “I find myself wanting to protect you.”

“That’s sweet, but unnecessary,” Sam replied.  “I’m overwhelmed.  I’m a little shocked.  I’m trying to wrap my head around the fact that I obviously gushed so much over a teenaged actor that my dad knew I liked guys before I did.”

“To be fair, that kid was pretty cute,” Gabe told him.  “Plus he’s short, like me.  I guess you have a type Samsquatch.”

“ _You’re_ my type,” Sam told him.  It was the closest he had come to saying those three little words that Gabriel had dropped on him last month.  They still hadn’t talked about that night.

“Good to know,” Gabe brushed the comment off casually.  “So, after the heavy shit of this morning, I’m assuming that you just want to relax today?”

“That would be good,” Sam was grateful.

“Okay then,” Gabe grabbed their plates and went to clean up.  He forced Sam to stay in his seat while he tidied up the kitchen.  When he’d put away the last container of food, Gabe walked over and slid his arms around Sam’s shoulders, leaning down toward him.  “I’m thinking, hot tub, followed by a blow job—for you—and then bed.  I’m fucking exhausted.  We were up in the middle of the night.”

“That sounds really great, Gabe.  Thanks,” Sam smiled.  “I’ll go get my suit.”

“Oh hell no,” Gabe smiled.  “I had to play ‘Meet the Parents’ this morning.  You’re going to be naked in that hot tub to make it up to me.”

Sam laughed and agreed.  “It’s the least I can do,” he conceded.  “Thank you,” he said softly.

“For what?” Gabe tilted his head.

“For being there for me today.  Being with me.  I know I’m not the easiest, but it means a lot that you were there.”  Sam sighed.  “I don’t know if I would have been able to actually say the words to my dad without you standing next to me.”

“That’s what I’m here for, kiddo.”  And god help him, Sam hoped that Gabriel would be there for him for a long time to come.

* * *

Dinner the next night at Jody’s was a loud affair.  They had all just seen one another for Thanksgiving, but they were eager to welcome John into their midst.  John Winchester showed up at the door only slightly late, bearing a small handful of flowers for the Sheriff.  He couldn’t seem to stop thanking her for her help the previous day.  Jody accepted the bouquet but waved off his accolades, forcing him to join the party.

He integrated well with everyone, taking time to talk to Alex and Claire about their schoolwork and hobbies.  He was very impressed when Alex announced that she was hoping to attend nursing school once she graduated.  All of the adults agreed that it was a worthy goal, but would be quite challenging.

John already knew that Castiel was a librarian in town, so he focused his parental questions on Gabriel for a bit.  When he asked what the man did, Gabe danced around the subject and just said that he ‘sold candy,’ which John seemed to find odd.  “Like a candy shop?  Those places are still around?”

“Sort of,” Gabe hedged.  “But Sammy here is the real star!”  He clapped his boyfriend on the shoulder.  “He’s going to be a lawyer.”

John beamed, looking at his son.  “Really?  You’re going for it?”

“I am,” Sam nodded.  “It took me a while, but I can’t let the idea go.  I figured I could at least try.”

“That’s great, son,” John told him.  They chatted about Sam’s class load for a little while before John turned to the seat next to him and eyed Claire.  “You’re graduating soon,” he commented to her.  “Picked out a college yet?”

She smiled at the attention and said, “I’m going to stay here in town.  Jody said I can still live here, so it makes more sense financially.”

“Guess I’ll be seeing you around campus,” Sam commented.

“More than you know,” she smiled.  She gave them all a big grin and looked as though she was about to drop a bomb.  Jody watched her foster daughter with worry.  “Okay,” Claire said.  “I wasn’t going to say anything yet, but, what the hell!  I want to go into criminal justice and then I’m planning on attending the police academy.”

They all stared at her for a beat.  Jody sat back hard in her chair and looked at Claire with wonder.  “It’s a tough job,” John commented.  “I’m sure your mom can tell you that.”

“I know,” Claire looked down at her plate.  “Jody’s why I want to do it.  I mean,” she looked up at the Sheriff, “you’re kind of fucking inspiring.”

“Language,” Jody said quietly.  She had tears glistening in her eyes though, and she couldn’t contain the smile on her face.  “Oh, Claire, honey!”  Jody hopped up and pulled the teenager into a hug.  “I’m not going to lie, it _is_ tough.  But you are going to be a _great_ cop!”

“You’re very observant,” Cas commented.  “Which should come in handy.”

“Great instincts, kid,” Dean added.  “You’re going to kick it in the ass.”

They all lifted their glasses and toasted Claire and Alex for their future plans.  The girls beamed at the praise.  When they had finished with their meal, the girls cleaned up all of the plates, carrying them into the kitchen.  They were joined by Jody, Cas and Gabe, who wanted to give the Winchesters some time with each other. 

The three men went to Jody’s front room and sat on the furniture, mostly just watching to see who would speak first.  “How long are you staying in town, dad?” Sam finally asked.

“Well,” John began, looking mostly at Dean.  “I wanted to talk to you both about that.”  He fidgeted, nervous.  “I don’t have anything waiting for me back in Lawrence really,” he started.  “I was thinking about staying around here for a while.  Spend some time with you boys.  Maybe try to make up for the past, if that’s possible.”

Sam’s eyes lit up, but Dean was still wary.  “You want to stay in Sioux Falls?”

John nodded at his oldest.  “Only if you two are okay with that.”

“That’d be great!” Sam said enthusiastically.  “You’d be around for the holidays.  We could actually have a real family Christmas.  You kind of just missed Thanksgiving, obviously,” Sam laughed.  “But we’d love to have you stay.  It would be…nice,” he looked over at Dean who was sitting quietly.  “Right?”

Dean seemed to take his time forming out what he wanted to say.  “If Sam wants you here then I’m fine with it,” he started.  “But making up for the past is going to take a little effort.”

“Which he has started to do by accepting us for who we are,” Sam pointed out, frowning at his brother.

“Not disowning us for liking dick doesn’t make the past just go away,” Dean said to his brother.  He turned to John, “Sorry, but that’s what I think.”

“It’s fair,” John told him.  “I fucked up a lot.  I know that moving forward isn’t going to be easy, but we were starting to try in Lawrence.  I’d like to continue here as well.”  Dean nodded.

“You can stay at the apartment, right Dean?” Sam said. 

“Sure,” Dean was still a little skeptical.  “Not like we use it that much anyway.”

“You’ve moved in with those Novaks already?” John asked lightly.  “That’s pretty fast.”

“It’s not official,” Dean told their father.  “But basically, yeah.  I mean, I have.  Sam just kind of crashes at Gabe’s constantly.  But the guy hasn’t kicked him out yet.”

Sam shifted a little in his seat.  Gabriel _had_ given him the keypad access to the house, but had never officially said anything about co-habitating.  And Sam wasn’t about to press that button.  He knew that Gabe could still get gun-shy about how they were progressing and he didn’t want to mess anything up.  For now, he was content.

“As long as you’re happy,” their father said again.  “Then I’m happy.  I’m going to have to find work if I stay much longer though.  Not like I have millions rolling around in the bank,” John chuckled, still unaware of the Novak’s financial status, or the fact that it was a sore subject for one of his sons.

In a rare show of compassion, Dean said, “You know, Bobby, my boss—he’s always looking for help around the garage.  Can you still handle a torque wrench?”

“Like I was born with it in my hands,” John replied.  “You sure he’d be okay with it?  Are you sure _you’d_ be fine with it?”

Dean shrugged.  “I’m cool.  You need work and Bobby will treat you right.  Plus, you taught me everything I know, so it’s not really a risk recommending you.”

“I’d really appreciate that, Dean,” John said softly.  “Thank you.”

Dean waved him off with the beginnings of a smile on his lips.  “No worries.”

Sam smiled happily at his family.  He knew that with John staying in town, it would really feel like Christmas.  Probably their first attempt at celebrations as a family since their mother had been taken from them.  Their dad seemed different too.  In Lawrence, when he’d first waltzed back into their lives, he’d changed—but there hadn’t been enough time to see how much.  Just in the past twenty-four hours, Sam could see how much his dad was really trying for them.  “This is going to be great,” he announced.  “I can feel it.”

John and Dean didn’t comment, but they shot one another a tentative smile and that made the moment all the more special for Sam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the past, I've always made John a bad guy, but I didn't want to do that this time around. Anti-climactic confrontation, but I can't really bring myself to care.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME!! (In the story--not in real life just yet.)

_Two weeks before Christmas…_

Lunch at Donna’s was becoming a definite habit for Castiel and Sam.  Since Sam spent most of his days in either class or at the library, they had begun to see quite a lot of one another.  Both of them enjoyed their time, finding it refreshing to be in the company of someone so similar to themselves.

“So Jody invited us all over for dinner on Christmas night,” Sam told him.  “She said Donna’s going to try to be there.”  Both of them looked over at the blonde woman behind the counter.

“Yes,” Cas said.  “We ran into them at The Roadhouse on their first date.”

“I’m guessing that’s why Donna made ‘special’ pies for Thanksgiving then?” Sam said.  “Maybe Jody is planning on revealing that development tomorrow,” Sam said.

“I suppose,” Cas smiled.  “They look well together.  Both of them have seemed happier in the last few weeks.”

“I’m happy for them.”

“So am I.”

They sipped at their coffees and waited for their salads to arrive.  It didn’t take very long for Donna to come over and set down large bowls of greenery in front of each man.  “You two enjoy those, you hear?  I put extra chicken in ‘em.”

“Thanks, Donna.  You’re the best,” Sam told her.

Cas dug in with gusto, commenting on the selection of the dressing.  Sam poked carefully at some lettuce with his fork, but didn’t eat.  “You seem troubled,” Cas observed.

“I’m having problems with what I should get Gabe for Christmas,” Sam told his friend.  “I mean, what do you get for a guy who could basically buy this whole city for fun?”

“Gabriel won’t care about the monetary value of a gift,” Cas told him.

“Well that’s good, because I’m broke,” Sam huffed, trying to smile.  “I’m just…I got no clue.”

Cas chewed thoughtfully before replying.  “Stay within your budget, of course.  My brother would be furious if he thought you spent your last dime on him.  But you should try and come up with something meaningful.  Something sentimental.  I think he would enjoy that.”

“Really?” Sam wrinkled his nose.  “Like what?”

Shrugging, Cas set down his fork.  “I’m not sure.  Is there something that reminds you of my brother?  Or your relationship in general?”

Sam flushed a little.  “Maybe.”

“Go with that, if you can,” Cas suggested.  “Believe me, Gabriel will be happy with anything you come up with.  And honestly, even if you don’t get him anything, he still won’t care.  Most likely, he will be pleased to just spend the holiday with you.”

“Okay,” Sam said finally.  “I think I have an idea.  Thanks, Cas.”

“No problem.”

“What are you getting for Dean?”

Castiel groaned.  “I’m in a similar situation to you although, different,” Cas said cryptically.  “I don’t have many thoughts, but the ones that I’m coming up with would be extravagant and I don’t wish to make Dean uncomfortable.”

“He loves his car,” Sam pointed out.  “I usually just get him something for Baby and he’s thrilled.  Never fails.”

Cas nodded.  “That is an excellent idea.  I can work with that.”

They moved on, now eating their food happily, talking about the latest books they had been reading, as usual.  Sam had pulled out his old copies of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ the other night and was almost through the first one.  Castiel remarked that Tolkien was one of his favorites, which they both already knew, but it kept the conversation going until they were ready to leave.

As they walked back along the snowy streets toward the library, Cas said, “Dean told me a while back that you are now planning to go into law.”

“Yeah,” Sam said.  “I finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up.  I told Gabe about it a while ago and he was really happy for me.”

“When will you start those classes?”

“Next semester,” Sam said.  “Honestly, I’m just glad that Statistics will be over in a few weeks.  I’m not even thinking about pre-law courses right now.  I’m sure they’ll be fucking brutal.”

“You’ll do well,” Cas was confident.  “You’re very intelligent.  Dean is always talking about how smart you are.”

“Dean’s biased.”

“No,” Cas smiled up at him.  “Your brother is absolutely correct in his praise.”

Sam was touched.  He knew that Dean loved him and was filled with pride over literally anything Sam did, but it was nice to hear how his brother gushed to Castiel about him.  Sam didn’t want to let Dean down.

They passed a small storefront with twinkling lights in the windows and small snowflake ornaments hung from thin three-foot evergreens.  “Hey, I’m going to catch up to you,” Sam said, pointing at the store.  “I want to check out something in here.”

“Okay Sam,” Cas said.  “I’ll see you later, I’m sure.  Remember that I have the book you’ve been waiting for on hold.  Don’t forget to pick it up before you leave tonight.”

“I won’t,” Sam said.  “Thanks man.”

He watched his friend walk away, back in the direction of his work.  Sam looked into the window of the store once more and entered.  He was pretty sure that he knew what to get for his boyfriend now.  He just hoped that he could find exactly what he was looking for, and this place seemed promising.

* * *

Dean was surprised to get a phone call from Gabriel asking him to meet at The Pan-ty Dropper that night.  They usually didn’t plan things on such short notice.  He also didn’t spend a ton of one-on-one time with his brother’s boyfriend.  He liked the guy—Gabe was a riot—but Dean found him better in small doses.

He tried to pry it out of Gabe exactly what he wanted, but the other man was tight-lipped, and would only repeat his request.  Dean told him he would be at the bar by seven and hung up.  When he broke the news to Cas that he wouldn’t be home for dinner, his boyfriend seemed excited about it, which curled Dean’s stomach.  It was pizza night, and if Dean was begging off, that meant Cas could have all the veggies he wanted on their order without having to listen to Dean’s bitching.

When he arrived at the bar, he stopped out front to chat with Benny for a while before heading in.  Gabriel was sitting on the end of the bar talking to Meg and clearly saying something lewd to her.  Dean shook his head.  He had no idea how Sam put up with Gabriel’s constant flirting.  Granted, the salacious remarks were usually addressed to Sam in particular, but every so often, Gabe would turn on the charm for random people he met.  Dean would have been pissed if Cas pulled that kind of shit, but Sam seemed perfectly at ease with the whole thing.

Dean walked up and greeted them both.  He took Meg’s suggestion for a new mojito that she had come up with and waited while she mixed it up for him.  “What did you need?” Dean asked.

“You’re looking well today,” Gabriel said, dodging him.

“You’re giving me a migraine,” Dean shot back.

“Please,” Gabe scoffed.  “You’re happy to be here.”

“No.”

“A little?”

“Not at all.”

“That’s a hit to my ego,” Gabe smiled at him and winked. 

“I think you’ll recover,” Dean smiled back.

Meg returned with Dean’s mojito, which had greenery floating in it—he hadn’t expected that.  However, when he tasted it, it was incredibly good.  He threw down a tip and looked at Gabe again.  “Come on, big boy,” Gabe yanked on his sleeve and pulled him away from the bar. 

They took their drinks to an empty table and sat down opposite of one another.  Gabriel kept swirling his glass in his hands and staring blankly into it.  “So what’s the deal?” Dean began.  “Cas was ordering pizza for us tonight and he was finally going to let me get all the meat toppings I wanted.  Why am I giving up meaty pizza to sit here drinking with you?”

Gabe blew out a breath and clicked his tongue.  “I’m going to do something for your brother for Christmas, and I want you to back me up on this,” Gabriel said.

“As long as you don’t buy him something crazy expensive like a car or a vacation to Europe.  You know Sam would hate that,” Dean levelled with him.

“I know,” Gabe said.  “That’s the whole problem isn’t it?  I guess it _could_ be considered extravagant but—“

“Don’t do it,” Dean warned.  “You’ll just make him upset.  And if it comes down to a prize fight, I’m ‘Team Sam’ all the way.”

“So am I,” Gabe’s eyes narrowed.  “Okay, what if I put it this way?  It’s practical.  And it would actually be for _both_ of you—does that help?”

“We aren’t big on charity,” Dean said.

“It’s not charity.”  Gabe glared at him.  “It’s me doing something for my boyfriend that will make his life just a little bit easier.”

Dean scratched his neck thoughtfully.  “I don’t know why we’re even talking about this.  You’re going to do it anyway, no matter what I say.”

“Probably,” Gabe quirked his lips.  “So?  Will you help me diffuse the situation if Sam freaks out?”

Shaking his head and taking a drink, Dean looked at the older man.  “Sam would kill me for telling you this, but he’s pretty uncomfortable at how fucking rich you are.”

“I’m picking up on that,” Gabe was sarcastic.

“He’ll get over it.  I mean, I did,” Dean hated having conversations like this.  “When Cas first told me, I was surprised and not sure I could handle having someone offer to take care of me.  I’m getting better at it though.  You just have to ease him into it.  Sam needs some time to know that you really care about him; and that he isn’t just a good time fuck who you lavish with cash.”

“I _do_ care about Sam,” Gabe said softly.  “This isn’t just some random bar hookup for me.  Not anymore.”

Dean raised an eyebrow.  “I’m gonna let that one slide because I know you might _actually_ die if you had to be serious for a second.”  Gabe laughed at him.  “I’m not going to try to stop you from _whatever_ you’re going to do.  But I just really want you to think about it and make sure that it is in Sam’s best interest.”

“I can do that.”  Gabe smiled.  “Trust me.  It’s a good present.”

“Well, if it does end up biting you in the ass, don’t come whining to your brother and I about it,” Dean said firmly.  “Just take care of Sammy, okay?”

Gabriel just smiled and tipped his drink toward Dean.  “Can I convince you to sing karaoke tonight?” he said, changing the subject.

“Ask me after a few more drinks,” Dean snorted.

* * *

_Christmas Day…_

They were meeting over at Jody’s house later for dinner with her and the girls.  John had been invited as well.  They’d actually extended the invitation to their father to join them in the morning for presents, but their dad had just smiled and said that he didn’t want to intrude.  He encouraged the boys to spend time with Cas and Gabe since it was their first Christmas together.  John didn’t say that he knew the holidays were usually hard, since he hadn’t really made much of an effort in the past, and this was his way of trying to give them a new beginning.

In order to start celebrating as soon as possible, Castiel and Dean stayed over at Gabriel’s on Christmas Eve.  Gabe whipped up some sort of Korean BBQ with homemade fried rice in a large wok for an early dinner.  After a few drinks, both couples retreated to their own private oasis for some quality time together.

Around six-thirty the next morning, Sam and Dean were racing down the stairs for the tree, eager to have a Christmas that was actually worth celebrating.  Gabriel and Cas followed them at a more sedate pace, yawning and making comments about ‘the kids being awake.’

At the Winchesters insistence, Gabe turned on the fireplace while Cas groaned about the hour and went to make coffee.  When he returned with large, steaming mugs of joe, Gabe slipped some Bailey’s into his and Dean’s slyly.  Dean happily plugged in the tree and they all clapped when it lit up.  “Hey, it’s snowing pretty good outside,” Sam commented from the window while everyone else began to choose their seats for the morning.

“I hope we don’t have to cancel on Jody,” Dean said.

“Nah,” Gabriel waved his hand.  “I have plenty of choices for four-wheel drive.  It will be fine.”

Cas spoke up, “Also, the forecast didn’t say anything about a lot of accumulation.  We can leave a little earlier if need be.”

With that, they all settled in to begin unwrapping the small pile of presents under the tree.  Dean and Sam bought each other a fifth of whiskey, which they laughed about saying it was a family tradition.  Sam also purchased motor oil for Dean’s car and in return, received a large container of off-brand protein powder from his brother.  They clapped each other’s backs in a quick hug, thanking the other for their gifts.

“Okay, mine next,” Gabriel bent over by the tree and lifted an incredibly large box and walked to Sam, plopping down into his lap.  Sam actually grunted at the weight—it was deceptively heavy.  Gabe acted like it was nothing and sat back down next to his boyfriend, slinging his arm over Sam’s shoulders along the back of the sofa.

“Before you two muttonheads start your bitching, I’m going to stop you,” Gabe said firmly.  “This is something I _want_ to give you and technically it’s for both of you—so shut up and just accept it.”

Sam was wary as he unwrapped the paper, setting the garbage on the seat next to him.  The box was slightly bent at the top, beginning to fall open.  He wrestled with it for a moment before looking inside, his mouth agape.  “No way,” Sam breathed.  “Gabe—“

“Shut up,” Gabriel said firmly.

Dean leaned forward, watching his brother.  Finally Sam turned to him and said, “He bought all of my textbooks for next semester.  I’m starting my pre-law courses and the books are insanely priced.  I honestly wasn’t sure how we were going to swing it.”

“Damn,” Dean looked at Gabe in shock.  “You didn’t have to do that, man.”

Gabriel pointed his finger in Dean’s direction.  “Now it’s your turn to shut your cakehole.”  He looked between the Winchesters for a beat.  “I can’t return them so you have to take it.  Otherwise you two stubborn jerks can go home and spend Christmas without any sex at all.”  He crossed his arms over his chest for good measure.

“Thank you,” Sam whispered.  He reached over and took Gabriel’s hand in his own.  “I mean, really, _thank you_.”

Dean wasn’t sure what to do.  Cas was smiling at them all, his eyes twinkling as though he had been in on the secret, which he probably had.  “Thanks man,” Dean said gruffly.  “That’s a real stand-up thing to do.”

“Don’t mention it,” Gabriel grinned at them and leaned into Sam’s body happily.

Castiel pulled on Dean’s hand and they went into the kitchen to give their brothers a little privacy.  Dean could see that Sam was barely holding it together and he sent up a quick prayer that his brother didn’t fucking cry.  They returned a few moments later with a fresh carafe of coffee and topped everyone off.

Sam pressed a single quick kiss to Gabe’s cheek and stood, heading toward the tree.  He retrieved a small gift bag from underneath with a large, sparkly snowflake printed on the light blue background.  He handed it to Gabriel before sinking down next to him and placing his hand on the other man’s leg.  “It’s not much,” he warned.

“I don’t care,” Gabe said.  “It’s from _you_.  That’s all that matters really.”

“God, you two are sappy,” Dean joked.  Cas elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to spit out a little of his coffee.

Gabriel pulled out some tissue paper and threw it over his shoulder behind the sofa.  He reached into the bag and pulled something out, setting it in the palm of his hand.

“A candle?” Dean looked confused, staring at the gift.  “That’s kind of…”

“What, Dean?” Sam shot his brother a look, daring him to continue.

“Nothing,” Dean smirked and leaned back in his seat toward Cas.

Sam’s face flushed as Gabe turned the simple candle over in his hands.  “It symbolizes a fireplace,” he said ducking his head.  He knew that Gabriel would get what he was trying to say with the gift.  Thanksgiving night, when his boyfriend had finally taken him in front of the fire, had been the best night of Sam’s life up to that point.

“Conveying the comfort of hearth and home?” Cas tilted his head.  “That’s very meaningful Sam.”

“Yeah, sure,” Sam said, still blushing.  “Something like that.”

“I love it, kiddo,” Gabe told him, reaching for his hand.  He showed them the label on the front which read ‘Flickering Firelight.’  “And you know how much I enjoy fires,” he winked at Sam.

“It’s not much, I know,” Sam stuttered.

“It’s everything,” Gabriel told him softly.  “I get what you’re saying kiddo.  That night was the pinnacle for me too.”  Sam relaxed into the comforting touch of his boyfriend at the words.

Dean narrowed his eyes a little at his brother and Gabe who was moving in for a kiss.  “That candle means something dirty, doesn’t it?”

“I’m not discussing this with you, Dean,” Sam told him.

“Fair enough,” Dean looked over at his own boyfriend.  “It’s your turn Cas.”  Castiel fingered the gift in his hands, deftly lifting the tape without ripping the paper.  “You’re so anal,” Dean said lovingly when Cas glared at him for trying to rush him along.

“This paper can be reused,” Cas told him while Sam nodded approvingly.

“Jesus,” Dean tossed his hands in the air, but he was smiling.

The painstaking unwrapping of Cas’ first gift revealed that Sam had bought his friend a hardback copy of ‘The Divine Comedy.’  The two of them geeked out over the themes of repentance in Dante’s work.  Gabe topped off Dean’s spiked coffee with Gabriel commenting that ‘everyone is a sinner, so who gives a shit?’—and they both tuned their brothers out for a little while.

Dean finally began to press for Castiel to open another, but Cas looked at his brother and requested that Gabriel open his present.  “Oh, what will you spoil me with this year?” Gabe chuckled as he picked up a large, heavy box.  Unlike his brother, Gabriel ripped at the paper, scattering pieces of it all around him.  He laughed joyfully when he got a look at the box.  “You shouldn’t have.”

“I know.  You have far too much caffeine in your body as it is,” Cas said as Gabe revealed the large copper espresso machine.

“Holy crap!” Sam said, looking at it.

“You’re giving him _more_ excuses to be hyped up?” Dean asked his boyfriend.  “Are you sure about that?”

“Cas, this model is worth, like, two grand!” Sam was incredulous.

“It _is_ for both of you,” Cas told him calmly.  Sam just sputtered and even Dean was looking at his lover with surprise.  “I’m assured that it’s a good one.”

“Yeah it is,” Gabe was happily poking at the gift.  “I can donate my old one—it’s iffy now at this point anyway.  Sometimes it only does half a dose when you press the full button.  Defective piece of shit.  Thanks, bro!”  Cas just smiled at them all.  “Ooh,” Gabe shouted.  “Open mine next, it’s only fair.  I promise—you’re gonna love it!”  He wiggled his eyebrows and sat back expectantly, looking at Castiel.

Once again, Cas carefully pried the paper off the large package to reveal a plain brown box.  Curiously, he opened the flaps and looked inside.  He immediately closed them and glared up at his brother.  “What is wrong with you?”

Gabriel slapped his own knee and wiped away a few tears from the extent of his giggling.  “You like it?”

“I do not.”

“What is it?” Dean leaned in and tried to pull open the box.

“Nothing!” Cas snatched the box away, holding it to his chest.

“Oh, now we gotta know,” Sam joined in, curiosity piqued.

Gabe was still choking with laughter.  “It’s a sex swing,” he told the Winchesters.  Dean blanched a little while Cas went bright red.  Sam took a healthy interest in his own hands.  “Top of the line, Cassie.  I spared no expense,” Gabriel winked at his blushing brother.  “You two will love it.”

Dean took a huge swig, draining his alcoholic coffee.  “Well, I can’t top that,” he said.  “Might as well have mine.”  He tossed a small envelope to Cas in an attempt to distract his boyfriend from the mortification.  They all watched, pointedly ignoring the box with the swing while Cas found that Dean had given him a gift card to…The Roadhouse. 

“I know you like their burgers and…let’s face it, I’m kind of shit at gift giving,” Dean said apologetically.  “I promise I’ll do better next year.”  Cas’ face lit up at the idea of the future.

He sheepishly revealed that he had purchased a full auto-detail for Baby at the local car wash.  Dean exclaimed in delight.  He usually liked to wash his car himself, but that place looked incredibly nice whenever they drove by it, even if he couldn’t justify the expense.  He yanked Cas into a deep hug.

“Aren’t they sweet,” Gabriel said, leering at Sam.  “Come on, Bucko, give me some sugar,” Gabe pursed his lips obnoxiously and Sam rolled his eyes and pushed him away, his hand planted on Gabriel’s nose.  “No?” Gabe asked, looking at his boyfriend.  “Not a fan of ‘Bucko?’”

“No,” Sam laughed.  “Try again.”

“Sorry, kiddo,” Gabe smiled.  “Won’t happen again.”  Sam let him have a kiss that time.

The loud clang of the doorbell echoed through the house, causing all of them to still.  Glancing at one another in confusion they remained unmoving until it chimed again.

“What the hell?” Gabriel said, wrinkling his nose.  “It’s Christmas.”

“I’ve got it,” Sam stood up and kissed the top of Gabriel’s head.

“Run ‘em off, Samsquatch—we’re busy,” Gabe called after him.

He reached the front door and flipped the locks, opening it to reveal a tall, blonde man with hard eyes standing on the step.  He was dressed in a long, expensive looking wool coat boasting large buttons and was clearly wearing a dark grey suit.  Despite the falling snow and the bitter chill, he seemed to be perfectly comfortable.

“Hi,” Sam said, eyeing the stranger.  “Can I help you?”  The words were friendly, but the tone was clipped because he was incredibly confused as to who this person was.

“My apologies,” he said.  “I’m looking for the Novak residence.  I wasn’t aware that Gabriel had moved.”

“Um, he hasn’t,” Sam stepped aside.  He moved so that the blonde man could enter the house, shaking the snow off of his coat and shoes.

“Interesting,” the man said, watching Sam carefully.  “And _who_ are _you_?”

“I’m Sam,” he said without elaborating.  He had no idea who this guy was and he wasn’t about to volunteer any information.  For all Sam knew, this was one of Gabe’s ex-boyfriends, which made Sam kind of want to punch the guy in the jaw.

“Hold on a second,” Sam shut the front door, worrying his lip.  “Hey, Gabe!” he shouted loudly.  “Someone’s here for you?”

“What?” Gabriel called back.  A moment later, he entered the foyer with Castiel and Dean following him closely.  Both of the Novaks broke into huge smiles and moved closer.  “You fucking dick,” Gabe smiled, grabbing the man and pulling him down for a hug.  “You missed Thanksgiving and show up now!  Why didn’t you call?”

Cas moved in, also embracing the stranger, who obviously wasn’t unknown.  “Hello, Lucifer,” he greeted his brother.  Sam and Dean exchanged looks.  This was unexpected, and they were still unsure at how welcome this new development would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Cackles maniacally* Will he be a good Luci or a BAD Luci?


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luci has some surprises up his sleeve.  
> John tries to take a step forward.  
> Tattoos!!

The sudden arrival of a third Novak threw Sam and Dean for a bit of a loop.  They had picked up bits and pieces about the man over the past few months, but as they compared quiet notes while the three brothers were chatting amiably by the tree, the Winchesters realized that they didn’t know very much at all.  They were aware that Lucifer could be a douche, but not as bad as Michael; and that he was a surgeon—that was about it.

They hovered on the edge of the scene, just watching, waiting to see how this was going to unfold.  Both of them were apprehensive at the sudden intrusion, but they didn’t comment.  “Sorry about just dropping in,” Lucifer was saying.  “I had to work through Thanksgiving because that hack of a general surgeon, Alistair, had ‘plans’ that he failed to mention until the week before.  I swear, I’m not doing him any more favors after this.”

“We’re just glad you could be here,” Gabe told him.  “You’re welcome to your choice of guest rooms, of course.”

“Not mine,” Cas spoke up.  “I’m very fond of my choice in rooms and I’m not moving all of my things for you.” 

The tone was lightly teasing and Luci just smiled at his younger brother.  “I think I can manage to avoid disturbing you and…” he glanced toward the Winchesters.

“I’m sorry,” Cas moved over and placed his hand on the small of Dean’s back.  “We’re being rude, not introducing you properly.  This is Dean, my boyfriend.”

“Which puts—Sam?” Lucifer remembered their awkward introduction out front, “—with _you_?” He looked at Gabriel in surprise.  “How does that even work?  He’s three people taller than you, brother,” Lucifer poked fun at Gabriel, who scowled.

“It works just fine, thanks asshole,” Gabe said.

“I still feel awful that you ended up stuck with our father’s ‘intimidating’ stature,” Lucifer said slyly.  “How _is_ the weather down there?”  Gabriel flipped him off, but he was smiling.

“Um, it’s really nice to meet you,” Sam said, trying to end the family banter.

“Likewise,” Lucifer said.  “I’m just happy to see my brothers so…whipped.  It’s a refreshing change.”

Dean snorted, while Cas looked at his brother stiffly.  “We are not ‘whipped,’” again with the air quotes, which made Dean chuckle some more.  “We are in committed, healthy relationships with people we care for.”

“That’s the definition of whipped, baby brother,” Lucifer poked Cas in the chest.

“That brings to mind that a little spanking could be a really interesting idea,” Gabe said, turning to his boyfriend.  “Samshine?  Would you ever be interested in—“

“Jesus, Gabe,” Sam cut him off.

“You’re too easy sometimes,” Gabe smiled and kissed Sam on the cheek.  “My brother tends to bring out the worst in me.  I apologize in advance.”

“Awesome,” Dean said drily.  “You always say shit like that to Sam.  You’re saying it’s going to get worse while Satan is here?”

Lucifer actually laughed at being referred to as the devil and grinned at Dean. “Oh, just wait,” he warned.

“Something to look forward to,” Sam muttered.

They talked for a while longer, showing off some of their gifts to Lucifer.  Cas flat-out refused to open the box with the sex swing when his brother asked what Gabriel had given to him.  He mumbled something incoherent and just said that it was a ‘something,’ before changing the subject.  “If we don’t want to be late, we should be leaving for Jody’s soon,” he said abruptly.

“You have an engagement?” Lucifer cocked an eyebrow.

“We’re going to our family’s place for dinner,” Dean told him.

“You’re more than welcome,” Sam added, although he wasn’t sure if he meant it.

Lucifer glanced between them all and replied, “I don’t want to intrude.  I know that I wasn’t expected.”

“It’s totally cool,” Dean reassured him, looking at Sam, who nodded quickly.  “Jody certainly won’t mind.  Besides, you came all this way to see your brothers.  You should come with us.”

“If you’re sure,” Lucifer said happily.  “I’d love to.”

Cas looked his brother over.  “You might want to change.  It’s quite casual.”

Gabriel showed Luci upstairs to a spare room after the man grabbed his bag from the rental car in the driveway.  They gave him a little while to change out of his suit before they all headed out to the garage.  They piled into the Humvee since it had the most room and the capability of navigating in the snow.  Gabe let Sam drive, since he’d been consuming Bailey’s all morning, hopping lightly up into the passenger seat.  The other three clamored into the back and buckled up.

Sam wove carefully through the unplowed streets, while Castiel and Gabe chatted with their older brother about what he had been up to.  Lucifer informed them that he’d been seeing a scrub nurse who worked in his specialty named Kelly, and that they were getting along quite well.  The other two seemed surprised by the news, which made Sam and Dean conclude that Luci was a confirmed bachelor, much as Gabe had been.

The low-hanging snow clouds made the sky darker than usual for the time of day.  When they finally pulled up to Jody’s place, the holiday lights were lit, bathing the house in festive cheer.  John’s truck was already parked at the curb, which meant that they were the last to arrive.  Sam and Dean pulled some large bags out of the back containing gifts for Jody and the girls.  They’d both warned Cas and Gabriel not to spoil the teenagers, but they knew that their advice had fallen on deaf ears.

Once everyone was inside and introductions made, Dean handed over the bags to Claire.  She and Alex flopped down on the sofa and dug in.  They had new shirts and books from Sam and Dean along with some sort of expensive looking tech for their phones from Castiel.  Gabe won the day with a five-hundred dollar gift card a piece to each teen for stores that they had mentioned at previous gatherings.  He got a two-sided, enthusiastic hug for that, while Sam hissed that he was crazy.  Gabe only winked at his boyfriend and hugged the girls back.

“Hey, where’s Donna?” Sam asked glancing around for the blonde baker.

Jody looked a little sad, but she still smiled at him.  “She got snowed in with this storm and didn’t make it back from Minnesota in time.  She said she’d try to stop by tomorrow evening so that we can exchange gifts.”

“I’m sorry,” Castiel told the Sheriff.  She waved it off and settled down with her own bag of gifts.

The presents for Jody were more on the practical side, but she delighted over each of them.  There were even a few things for John that were handed out and unwrapped.  He thanked everyone sincerely and even received hugs from his sons.  Over the past few weeks, the three Winchesters had been going to dinner every once in a while and slowly, things were starting to thaw.  It felt good.

When John’s turn came, he smiled gently at his sons.  “It’s not a real gift, but I thought it was appropriate,” he said.  He reached into his back pocket and held up a green chip for Alcoholics Anonymous stating that he was almost three months clean.  That earned another round of hugs. 

As they prepared to eat, Lucifer was seated next to John and congratulated him on his recovery process.  Under the table, away from prying eyes, Luci revealed his own six year chip to the older man.  “It’s looked down upon in my profession,” Lucifer told him.  “I know this is a hard road, but what you’re doing means the world to your family—I can tell.”

John nodded gratefully.  The two of them fell into a rather unusual discussion about the Twelve Steps and which one each of them had found to be the most daunting.  Sam and Dean were slightly surprised at the exchange, considering that they had been warned of Luci’s somewhat abrasive manner.  He was all smiles though as he spoke to their father and John seemed appreciative for the common ground they shared.

“He’s not all bad,” Cas leaned over and whispered to Dean.  “He’s just…difficult sometimes.  Mostly he’s fine now that he’s sobered up.  I didn’t mention his struggles to you because they’re personal in nature.”

“You don’t have to apologize for that, Cas,” Dean told him.  “I respect that you didn’t go around gossiping about something serious that pertained to your family.”

After dinner, Lucifer joined his brothers in kicking everyone—especially Jody—out of the kitchen to clean up.  “You went to such trouble and I wasn’t even invited,” he told the Sheriff.  “Please, go relax and let us handle the messy part.”  Jody thanked the Novaks profusely, as she always did and joined the others around her own smaller tree.

Sam cut himself off after two drinks, since he was driving them all back to Gabriel’s later.  The rest of them decided that in order to give Sam time to metabolize the small amount of alcohol in his system, that they had time for more drinks of their own.  John watched them all calmly sipping some strong, hot coffee from a mug that looked like a snowman.  Claire and Alex sung some off-key carols before they turned to their phones and began to check online for what they wanted to buy with their new gift cards.

When the three Novaks rejoined the party, everyone piled onto the chairs, laughing and talking about how the holiday had been for each of them.  Jody was still sniffling a little about the collage picture frame that Sam and Dean had given to her, containing a large grouping of photos that the three of them had taken over the years.  “Didn’t mean to make you get all emotional,” Dean told her gruffly.  She punched him in the shoulder, which made everyone laugh.

Eventually the clock moved closer to midnight, signaling the end of Christmas Day and everyone got up to leave.  There were lots of hugs and many thanks.  Jody told Lucifer that he was always welcome when he was in town.  John even pulled the man aside and privately thanked him.  They actually hugged which was weird for everyone since neither man was really a touchy-feely kind of guy.

John left first, waving as he drove off.  Not much later, the rest of them climbed into Gabriel’s car with Sam behind the wheel once more.  They drove home, happy and full.  It had been a wonderful day.

* * *

Lucifer had taken off of work for five days and he joined them as they began to prepare for New Year’s Eve.  He had to be back to his hospital by then, but he insisted on having an early celebration with his brothers and their new love interests.  He fit kind of seamlessly into the dynamics of the group, and Gabriel hadn’t been lying—he was much raunchier when Luci egged him on.  Dean’s eyes were constantly rolling at the things that came out of Gabe’s mouth.

Two days after Christmas, they all headed out to The Pan-ty Dropper since it was sort of tradition by this point, and also to see how Lucifer would react.  He obviously wasn’t homophobic by any standards, but he was a very attractive man, just like his brothers.  Dean and Gabe made a bet on how many times Luci would get hit on while they were there.  By the end of the night, Dean had won, but only because Balthazar helped round out his guess by coming on to Lucifer three separate times.  Luci had taken it well and informed them all that a compliment was always welcome, no matter the package.

They drank for a few hours, Lucifer ordering diet coke with lemons, while the rest of them got pretty tipsy.  Their table tended to draw looks from the other patrons at how loudly they were all laughing.  Dean even climbed up on the tiny stage and sang a few songs into the microphone when karaoke started.  A tall, serious looking man who introduced himself as Gadreel offered to buy Dean a drink after he’d sat back down.  Gadreel hurried away though when Cas levelled him with a darkly possessive glare.

Since they’d planned on a night of debauchery before Lucifer had to head home, they’d used a car service to get to The Pan-ty Dropper that night.  When they left, Sam called for a ride home and they only had to wait a few minutes before someone showed up for them.  “I should be tired,” Lucifer commented when they arrived back at Gabriel’s place.  “But I’m not.  Anyone up for a soak in the hot tub before we all call it a night?”

Everyone agreed that the idea sounded excellent and went to change into their swimsuits.  Gabe threatened to wear a speedo, but changed his mind after Dean protested; and Sam informed him that he would like to be the only one out there that knew all of what Gabriel had to offer.  Gabe found that incredibly sexy and also hilarious.

As they trooped out into the cold, Lucifer called down the stairs that he had to take a call and would join them in a moment.  The four of them hopped into the pleasantly warm water of the outdoor Jacuzzi and jostled around, trying to find seats next to their partners.  They were debating the merits of going out for the New Year, or just staying at home as separate couples when Lucifer joined them ten minutes later.

He walked outside in bare feet, slipping across the ice toward them.  “Holy crap,” Dean exclaimed as Lucifer climbed into the hot tub, sliding into a seat.  “That’s some serious ink,” he gestured to the large black wings marking the other man’s shoulders.  They covered most of the skin on Luci’s back and were incredibly detailed and impressive.

“It’s an indulgence,” he replied.  “I have fifteen right now, but I place them all so they won’t be noticed at work.  You’d be surprised at how many patients are put off by their surgeon being tattooed.  It’s ridiculous.”  He smiled slyly.  “It’s kind of fun though, like a dirty little secret.”

“Does it hurt?” Sam asked.

Lucifer shrugged.  “I don’t think so.  It’s soothing.  And they’re plenty fucking addictive, just fair warning.”

“It stung a little,” Gabe commented.  “But yeah, it felt kind of good.”

“Wait, what?” Sam turned to his boyfriend.  “You have a tattoo?  How did I not know this?  We’ve been together for three months!”

“If you had,” Gabriel said slyly.  “I wouldn’t have been doing my job correctly.  I don’t want you distracted by my freaking ankles when I’m naked.”

“Show me,” Sam begged eagerly.

Gabe rolled his eyes and pulled his leg out of the water, propping it on the edge of the tub.  Around the ankle joint on both sides were small yellow wings, outlined in black.  Sam reached out and ran his fingers over the markings.  “I can’t believe I’m so unobservant that I missed that.”

“Yeah, that’s sad for you,” Gabriel teased him.

“To be fair, you do keep your socks on a lot,” Sam shot back.  They all laughed as Gabriel grumbled that he didn’t like to get dirt on his feet.

“I have one as well,” Cas admitted to Dean.  “I’ll show it to you later.”

“Why?  Is it in a naughty place?  How have I not noticed this?” he echoed his brother.

“It’s not in a naughty place,” Cas said with exasperation.  “It’s also on my ankle.  It’s the same one as Gabriel’s, however my wings are black and blue.  Lucifer’s are black and red.”  Luci kicked his leg up and flashed his art to Dean.  “We all got them at the same time.  It was to symbolize our bond as brothers.”

“Does Michael have one?” Sam wondered.

All three of the Novaks snorted darkly.  “Hell no,” Gabriel spoke up.  “As if Mikey would demean himself by actually having fun sometime in his life.”

“He’s also afraid of needles,” Cas informed them.

“Because he’s a whiny little bitch,” Lucifer added.

They all laughed at that, even though Sam and Dean had never met the man in question.  At this point, they knew that they weren’t going to like the oldest Novak in the least.  “Sammy and I thought about getting matching ones for a while,” Dean told them.

“Come to Denver and visit,” Luci said.  “I’ll set you up with my artist—she’s phenomenal.  Funny little spitfire named Charlie.  All of her tattoos are insanely dorky and she totally owns it.  She’ll treat you right.”

“How dorky?” Dean asked.

“Princess Leia in a bikini, straddling a twenty-sided die, dorky,” Lucifer laughed.  “You’ll love her.  She’s a good time.”

“She sounds like it,” Dean laughed.  “What do you think, Sammy?  Should we go for it?”

“I’m in if you are,” Sam shot back.

“We could take a trip out there in the spring,” Gabriel suggested.  “During Sam’s break.  That’s enough time to make arrangements.”

Sam and Dean shot each other a look.  “I’ll have to pick up some extra shifts at work to save up the money,” Dean said slowly.  “But sure?  You cool with that Sammy?”

Everyone looked at the younger Winchester expectantly.  “You’d be more than welcome at my home in Cherry Creek,” Lucifer offered.  “That way you don’t have to spring for a hotel.”

Finally Sam nodded slowly.  “Sure, we can try to make it.”  His voice was strained, but no one called attention to it.  He knew that he was going to have to get over this hang-up about Gabriel’s money at some point.  If he couldn’t come to terms with it, then that would be a bad sign for the future.  Sam vowed to work on it, but not now.  There was plenty of time for him to accept that he was dating a rich man.  Gabe hadn’t even asked him to move in yet, so clearly they were still taking things slow.

Everyone began talking about all of the things they wanted to do in a new city when they visited Lucifer, who was tossing out suggestions for restaurants and museums.  Sam sat back in the water and tried to relax.  He felt Gabriel’s hand grab his thigh under the surface, but it wasn’t sexual in the least.  His boyfriend was offering him comfort, and for that, Sam was grateful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know its unlikely that after all this time Sam and Dean didn't notice the tattoos--but they're small and I'm going to hope that you all can suspend disbelief because I really wanted the three Novaks to have matching ink.  
> Cherry Creek is a real and very nice area of the Denver Metro area.
> 
> Oh man, I was watching 'Tall Tales' just now and noticed that when Gabriel is revealed as the Trickster and he is in his underwear that when he gets up to eat his cakes he is wearing big old socks LMFAO! I honestly had never noticed that when I mentioned in this that Gabe likes to walk around in socks a lot. I accidentally did a thing!!
> 
> Also...I really apologize in advance for the next few chapters. They were very hard for me to write because...you'll see. DO NOT DESPAIR!! *Spoilers* I will always write a happy ending!! Just...be prepared and know that I'm sorry...


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gabe gets scary.  
> Sam finally snaps.
> 
> I am so sorry. Truly.

_February 11 th…_

The morning dawned grey with low-hanging clouds, promising precipitation.  Sam groaned and rolled over in bed.  Gabriel had been spooning him all night and since his boyfriend had the metabolism of a hummingbird, he always ran hot.  Sam curled into Gabe’s chest, running his foot up the other man’s leg.  “’Morning,” Gabriel muttered, leaning up to give Sam a kiss.

“I don’t want to get up yet,” Sam huffed.  “It’s nice here.”

“We don’t have to,” Gabe ran his lips down Sam’s neck, making his skin tingle.  “I think we should stay right here and only move today to have hot, sweaty sex.”

“Yes please,” Sam kissed back.

Sam raked his hands down Gabriel’s chest, moving lower beneath the covers.  He had just taken his boyfriend into his mouth when a loud ding sounded from downstairs, causing both men to sit up in surprise.  It was the doorbell.  It chimed again while they tried to collect themselves.  “It’s seven am,” Sam looked at the clock next to the bed.

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and it will be someone selling Girl Scout cookies,” Gabe suggested as he rolled out of bed and pulled on some clothes.  He was still hard and it was pretty sexy.  Gabe looked down at himself and shrugged.  “To be continued,” he winked at Sam.  “Get dressed and I’ll make some breakfast once I run whoever this is off my property,” Sam could hear Gabe calling back at him from down the hall.

He stood up, cracking his back.  He opened the large drawer in Gabriel’s dresser where he had been keeping his clothes.  He got dressed slowly, putting on clean jeans, a plain black shirt and some thick socks as a nod to the cold.  He kind of hoped that Gabe would make waffles because Sam was having a craving and also, Gabriel’s waffles were incredible.

Wandering down the hall, Sam’s ears perked up as he heard raised voices coming from downstairs.  Not Girl Scouts after all, then.  He wondered who would show up at seven in the morning without being cleared by the gate guard and something uneasy settled in his gut.  The voices grew louder and Sam had a bad feeling about what was about to happen.

“You know that you aren’t welcome here.  How did you even get through the gate?” Sam could hear Gabe snapping.

“I flashed a few Benjamins at the guard out front—he was very accommodating,” a smooth voice responded.

“I’ll be having a word with his supervisor at the security company,” Gabe growled.

“Don’t be a drama queen,” the other man said. 

Sam moved to the top of the stairs near the balcony and looked down into the foyer.  His boyfriend was standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed over his chest and a deadly look in his eyes.  He didn’t recognize the other person though.  The man was tall, around six foot, with dark hair and flat, almost lifeless eyes.  He had on a sharply pressed navy suit that, even Sam could tell, cost a fortune.

“Well, well.  What have we here?” the stranger said and Sam realized that he’d been spotted.  Both men were looking up at him, hovering on the stairs, eavesdropping.  “Is _this_ what’s been keeping you from returning my calls?”

“Leave him out of this,” Gabe said, his voice a warning.

“Don’t be shy,” the other man smiled up at him, but it wasn’t friendly—it was predatory.  “Come join us.”

Sam wasn’t sure what to do, so he looked over at Gabriel.  His boyfriend’s expression told him that Gabe was royally pissed off, but not at Sam.  Gabe gave him a small nod and gestured at Sam to come down the stairs.  “It’s okay, Sam.”

He moved slowly, walking down the marble steps carefully, trying not to slip in his socks.  He reached the foyer and went to stand beside Gabriel, watching the stranger warily.  “Sam,” Gabe said.  “Meet my bag-of-dicks brother, Michael Novak.”

“Pleasure,” Michael said easily.  Sam just nodded once, not wanting to get any closer to Gabriel’s older brother.  Michael’s eyes slid over Sam critically and it made him feel almost sick.  “I see you’ve found yourself a new distraction.  How long will this one last before you get bored with him?”

“Don’t fucking talk about Sam like that,” Gabe warned.  “We’ve been together for five fucking months.”

“Practically a lifetime for you,” Michael said dryly.  “What is he?  Nineteen?  Twenty?  Oh, Gabriel—you never change.  Always picking up desperate twinks to occupy your time.  I guess you’ll never grow up at this rate.”

Gabe’s eyes flashed and he opened his mouth, but Sam beat him to it.  “I’m fucking twenty-four and I’m not a damn twink.”  The look Michael shot him made Sam shrink a little, worrying that he might had overstepped.

“I always knew you’d stick it in anything that moved, brother,” Michael said.  “But obviously your standards have relaxed in the last few years.  Where did you find this one?  A rest-stop?  Gas station?”  Michael snapped his fingers, pretending that he had just thought of something.  “I know—a shit-hole bar, perhaps?  Let me guess, he was halfway decent in a men’s room stall so you figured you’d have some fun for a while before tossing him aside?”

“Fuck you,” Gabe snarled as Sam’s mouth fell open.  He couldn’t believe what a douche Gabriel’s brother was.  I mean, he’d been warned, but damn!  “Tell me why you’re even here or get the fuck out.  I’m not going to stand here and let you insult my boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend?” Michael arched a brow.  “That is a shame.”  He opened a slim briefcase in his hands and pulled out a sheaf of papers, handing them off to Gabe.  “As you can see, with your thirty-fifth birthday being this year, you _should_ be entitled to your trust fund from our father’s estate”

“Should be?” Gabriel flicked through the papers uncaringly.

“Yes.” Michael smiled meanly.  “However, you will notice that, as executor, I have the right to deny the release of the money if I don’t wholly approve of your…lifestyle.”

“So now you give a fuck that I’m bisexual?” Gabe finally looked up.  “I know you don’t, Mikey.  What’s this really about?”

“Your choice in partner,” Michael’s cold eyes flicked to Sam.  “Lucifer mentioned during our last phone call that you seemed particularly taken with this young man and naturally, I did a little digging.”  A sly grin split Michael’s face and it was off-putting.  “He and his brother were brought up in the system.  Dead mother,” Sam flinched at that, “Deadbeat father.  Rootless.  As far as I can tell, this one,” Michael pointed at Sam dismissively, “has never even had a job that required a W2 form.  Can’t you see, Gabriel, he’s only after you for your money.  He isn’t worth your time.”

Gabriel glared, but didn’t interrupt and that set off warning bells in Sam’s mind.  “As your older brother, I’m concerned about your life choices.  I fully intend to act upon on my rights to withhold your inheritance as I see fit.  Sam Winchester is a gold-digging piece of garbage and I want him out of your life.”  Michael stopped and watched them as though he was eager to see their reactions.

By now, Gabe’s shoulders were shaking with barely contained rage and Sam took a small step away from his lover.  Who was he even kidding?  Michael was right.  Sam _wasn’t_ worth the time of the great Gabriel Novak.  He knew that.  He just couldn’t seem to stop, constantly being drawn in by this amazing man who seemed to care for him.  What if he didn’t?  What if Gabe came to his senses and just tossed Sam aside like a used tissue?  Michael certainly seemed surprised that they had been together so long without Gabriel getting tired of him.

He could hear the brothers talking, but he didn’t register what either was actually saying.  There was a rushing in his ears like the crash of ocean waves and Sam wanted to get away from all of this.  Gabriel was shouting something that required multiple uses of the word, ‘fuck.’  When there was a short pause while the Novaks glared at one another, Sam took the opportunity to finally speak up.

“I should go,” Sam stammered, moving toward the door.  He had to get out of there.  He didn’t want to see this.  It was a family thing, and if Gabriel was going to agree with Michael, then Sam knew that his heart couldn’t take it.

“Don’t.  You.  Fucking.  Move.” Gabriel’s voice was harsh as he fixed Sam with a chilling look.  Sam froze totally, not sure how to react to his boyfriend’s terrifying tone.  Gabriel turned back toward Michael and said, “Get the fuck out of my house before I kill you.  I’m deadly serious, Michael.”

Gabe’s voice was a deathly hiss and even Michael, being much larger than his brother, took a step backward, looking cautious.  “Gabriel,” Michael said.

“Get out!”  It was a command, and a powerful one.  Sam jumped and looked between the two brothers.

Michael, slid his flat, lifeless eyes to Sam.  “This isn’t over,” he said before turning and barreling out the front door.

Sam watched as Gabriel stared after his departing sibling with pure hatred in his eyes.  It made him uneasy.  He knew that Gabe had taken his side—defending him—but something about the look on his boyfriend’s face was unsettling.  Sam knew he couldn’t deal right now.  Gabe turned toward him, still looking furious.  They stared for a beat before Sam blurted out, “I have to go.”

He spun on his socks and practically _ran_ toward the garage.  He could hear his boyfriend calling after him, but Sam didn’t respond.  He had to get out.  Now.  An old pair of his boots were lying crumpled on the floor and he pulled them on without tying them.  Stepping into the garage, he looked around and swore, realizing that he didn’t have a car here.  He knew that Gabe wouldn’t mind—the older man was always encouraging Sam to take his cars out for a drive.  He grabbed a set of keys off of the peg on the wall and walked over to the sleek, black, BMW convertible nearby.

It was cold outside, and not conducive to driving with the top down, but Sam didn’t care and didn’t have the time to waste.  He climbed in, popping open the garage door and backed out in a smooth maneuver.  There were no vehicles out front, which meant that Michael was gone for now.  He peeled out of the drive, through the gated neighborhood, going well over the speed limit.  He was aware of the gate guard yelling at him to slow down as he cruised out onto the road.

He didn’t know where he was headed.  He considered going to Dean, but he knew that he would be at Cas’ house and Michael may show up there as well.  Sam didn’t need a repeat of the oldest Novak’s attitude.  He stopped at a drive-through and got some watery coffee.  Eventually, he pulled into a small, wooded park and sat in the car, drinking, and shivering in the cold since the stupid convertible top was still down.

Michael Novak’s words kept replaying in his head.  ‘Gold-digger.’  ‘Trash.’  Sam wanted to vomit but he didn’t have anything in his system besides the shitty coffee.  A few fat flakes of snow began to drift down from the clouds and Sam glared up at them.  He remembered that the weather app had informed him of a storm cell moving into Sioux Falls that could turn into a blizzard.  He knew he had to figure out where to go because, while the BMW was fun and flashy, it was a complete bitch to drive in any kind of weather.

Making up his mind, Sam started up the car and drove away, heading toward the only place he could think of—his old apartment.  He was pretty certain that he could just hunker down there and gather his thoughts.  He’d never brought Gabriel around.  He’d always been slightly ashamed of the run-down nature of the place, even though he knew that Gabe really wouldn’t judge him.  At least he could cool off and decide what he was going to do without worrying about his boyfriend barging in on him right away.  Eventually, Gabe would realize where he was and Sam was sure that Dean would give him the address.  For now though, Sam wanted to be left the fuck alone.

* * *

After an enjoyable shower, during which they both came, Dean and Castiel were moving around Cas’ kitchen making breakfast when a sharp knock came at the front door.  They glanced at each other, both curious.  It was almost noon, but they weren’t expecting anyone.  Both men moved to the hall to see who was calling on them.

Gabriel stood on the porch wearing what looked like pajamas and a ratty army-issue jacket that Dean recognized as Sam’s.  The smaller man’s fingers were barely poking out of the sleeves.  He was stomping his feet, his breath making small white puffs in the chilled air, and he looked absolutely furious.  “Gabriel?” Cas opened the door and let his brother inside.  “Are you all right?”

“No, I’m not fucking okay,” Gabe snapped.  The older Novak grit his teeth and blinked slowly as though he was trying to compose himself.  “I’m sorry Cassie.  That was fucking rude.”

“What’s going on?” Cas sounded concerned.  “You’re wearing pajamas.”

“Yeah, I am,” Gabe nodded, his voice dripping with sarcasm.  “I didn’t really think about putting on a fucking suit to come over here and warn you.”

“About what?” Now Cas’ eyes were narrowed suspiciously.

“Our lovely brother, Mikey is in town,” Gabe said lowly.

Castiel’s eyes flashed dangerously and he closed the front door, flipping the deadbolt for good measure.  Cas had told him enough about Michael that Dean already knew he fucking hated the guy, sight unseen.  But there was something simmering underneath the surface of Gabriel’s features that was really concerning him.  “Where’s Sam?” Dean asked.

Gabe looked up at him, deflating and managing to look even smaller than usual.  “I don’t fucking know,” his voice was defeated.

“What?” Dean snapped.

“I don’t know!” Gabe said louder.  “Michael came by early this morning.  Some shit went down, and I kicked him out after he insulted Sam.  After he left, Sam took off in one of my cars without a goddamn jacket.  He isn’t answering his phone and I don’t know where the fuck he is!”

Dean spun around and stalked back to the kitchen.  He grabbed his phone off the table and dialed his brother.  It rang endlessly and eventually connected to voicemail.  He heard his own voice.  _‘Sam can’t come to the phone right now because he’s waxing—like everything.’_   And then Sam’s voice yelling, _‘What are you doing with my phone? Dean—come on!’_   Beep!

“Call me!” Dean growled into the recording and then punched the end button as hard as he could.  He resisted the urge to chuck his phone across the room, but he couldn’t afford to replace it if it broke.  Cas and Gabe had joined him in the kitchen, both Novaks watching Dean carefully.  “No fucking answer,” Dean spat. 

“I’ve tried three times,” Gabe said sadly.  The older man slumped into one of the chairs around the table and picked up Dean’s coffee mug, absently drinking from it.  Dean opened his mouth to inform Gabe that he was stealing his coffee, but thought better of it.  The guy looked completely broken.

“Can I get you anything?” Cas asked his brother.

“No.”

“What happened?” Dean watched as Castiel tried to push Gabe into opening up.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Gabriel said glumly.  He wrinkled his nose at the coffee and set it back down.  “This is cold.  And it doesn’t have alcohol in it.”

“Because it’s mine, and I didn’t want to go to work this afternoon with a hangover,” Dean finally said.

“He didn’t take a fucking jacket,” Gabe whispered.  “And he took the damn convertible.  It’s supposed to snow later—he’s going to crash into a tree or something in that piece of shit car.”  Gabe stood abruptly.  “I should be at home so I’m there when he comes back.”

Dean knew his brother all too well, and he highly doubted that Sam would go back to Gabriel’s for a while.  Sam always liked to get out and clear his head when something was wrong.  It was a family thing—the Winchesters loved to squash down their emotions.  It was super healthy.

“I have to go,” Gabe walked to the front door.  Cas and Dean trailed after him, Dean looking pissed, Cas worried.  “Don’t let Michael in the house if he comes by.  Just…don’t,” Gabe warned his brother.  “Fuck.”  And then he was gone.

They stood in the hallway for a while in silence.  “Level with me Cas,” Dean finally spoke.  “How bad is it that Michael’s here and now my brother goes missing?”

Cas sighed and rumpled his messy hair with one hand.  “Bad.”

“You think he ran Sam off?”

“I don’t know.  Probably,” Cas went back to the kitchen and began to wash dishes.  He cleaned when he was upset.

“I just want to know that Sammy is okay,” Dean said to Cas’ back.  “And I want to know what went down.  And I _really_ want to know if I’m going to have to kill your damn brother.”

Cas glanced back at him with a frown.  “I’m sure it will work out.”  He turned away again.  “Are you still going to work?”

Dean raked a palm down his stubble.  “Yeah,” he said.  “Bobby could use the help and I could use the cash.  It’s just a half a day and I’ll get time and a half since its Sunday.”  Cas didn’t reply.  “I’m going to try Sam again,” he announced.  He went down the hall to Castiel’s room, shutting the door.  He changed into some work clothes and dialed Sam again.  _‘Sam can’t come to the phone right now—‘_   Dean hung up.  This wasn’t fucking good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trust me on this...please...this hurts me too.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam keeps making mistakes.  
> Gabe is starting to lose his patience.  
> Dean is pissed too.

He had been hiding out at his and Dean’s apartment since yesterday after his flight from Gabriel’s, and he felt like shit.  His father had to go back to Lawrence for a few days, so Sam was blissfully alone.  He had tried to sleep, but ended up tossing around restlessly in his bed.  He didn’t like how empty his bed felt—he missed Gabe.  He was already awake when the alarm went off.  It was still dark outside of the window.  Heaving himself out of bed, Sam went to the bathroom and let out an expletive when he realized he didn’t even have a toothbrush.  Basically everything he needed to function was at Gabriel’s place.

He used Dean’s old toothpaste, spreading some onto his finger and shoving it into his mouth.  It was the best he could do for now.  He’d already decided that he was going to skip all of his classes today.  He didn’t want to be around other people.

Back in his room, Sam picked up his phone and scrolled through it.  He had four missed calls from Dean and even one from Cas.  There was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he realized he had over twelve texts from Gabe and seven missed calls.

Reading through the text messages from his boyfriend, Sam could feel a headache coming on.  They started off worried, wondering where Sam had gone.  Then they turned to asking him to come ‘home.’  By the last one, Gabriel was seriously pissed.  All it said was: ‘Maybe Michael was right,’ and that actually broke Sam’s heart.  It felt like a literal cut that was still bleeding when he heard those words.  He knew he didn’t have it in him to listen to any of the voice messages.  Knowing his brother though, Dean was probably freaking out by now.  Sam could at least fix that.

**To: Dean**

**I’m at the apartment.  I’m fine.**

The phone rang seconds later with the customized tone he had set for Dean.  Sam sighed and eventually answered.  He knew he couldn’t put his brother off forever.  “What the fuck, Sammy?” Dean yelled without a greeting.

“Hi,” Sam said.

“Nope,” Dean growled.  “You don’t get to disappear, leaving Gabe to come over in a panic asking if we’ve seen you.  I tried you four fucking times last night—I wanted to call the hospital but Cas talked me down.  You are in deep shit!”

Yeah, Sam was aware of that.  He had the hurtful texts to prove it.  “Sorry,” was all he said.

“What the hell happened?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Sam groaned.  “Look, have you seen Gabriel?”

There was silence on the other end and a small scratching sound which made him think that Dean was holding the phone away from himself.  He heard a quiet voice in the background before Dean came back on the line.  “Yeah, we saw him.”  Silence.  “He wouldn’t tell us what was going on either.  He just said something about Michael and that you took off without a fucking jacket.”

“I needed to clear my head.”  Sam knew it was a weak excuse.

“Fucking hell, Sammy,” Dean sighed.  “Cas is on the phone with his brother now, letting him know that you’re okay.”

“What? No,” Sam started.

“Yes,” Dean almost shouted.  “Gabe’s your boyfriend.  I don’t know what you’re fighting about, but he was flipping the fuck out when he got here yesterday afternoon.  I honestly didn’t think that you’d go back to the apartment or I would have driven him over there myself.  He was a fucking mess and it freaked me out.  He deserves to know you aren’t dead in a ditch somewhere.”

He knew that Dean was right, he just didn’t want to admit it.  He’d lain awake all night thinking about what Michael had said.  He _wasn’t_ good enough for someone like Gabriel.  His boyfriend was smart, successful, insanely rich and attractive—Sam was a college student with forty-two dollars to his name who couldn’t even decide on a freaking major for almost three years.  “Dean,” Sam said finally.  “I fucked up.”

“Yeah, you did.”  His brother had no sympathy in his tone.  They sat on the phone in silence for almost two minutes.  Sam was fisting his hand into the fabric of his jeans angrily, trying to think of what to say.  “Look,” Dean said after a while.  He sounded tired and Sam knew that his brother had probably been awake all night as well, worrying about him.  As if Sam needed more guilt right now.  “Gabe’s pissed right now, but you can fix this.  I think he’s mostly just angry because he’s worried about you.  Go over there.  Just fucking nut up and apologize or whatever.  You can fix it.”

“Yeah, okay,” Sam said.  “Thanks, Dean.  I’ll drive over now.”

“I won’t give him the heads up,” Dean promised, causing Sam to relax just a little.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t fucking do that again, Bitch,” Dean said.

“I won’t, Jerk.  I’m sorry,” Sam managed.  They ended the call and Sam stood in the middle of his mostly empty bedroom, trying to work up the nerve to get his ass in gear.  Dean was right—he had to try and explain.  He owed Gabriel that, at least.

Realizing that his brother had been accurately informed about him storming out with no coat, Sam grabbed one of his old jackets from the closet in the hall.  It was a little snug across his shoulders, but it would at least cut down on the bite of the wind.  Before he could talk himself out of it, he headed out to the lot and got into Gabriel’s BMW.  He really wasn’t looking forward to this.

Halfway to Gabriel’s neighborhood, Sam impulsively turned down a side street and began winding through town in the opposite direction of his original destination.  Before he knew what he was doing, he was on the outskirts of Sioux Falls, still heading down the road.  Gabriel would understand.  At least, Sam hoped that he would.  He just wasn’t ready to deal with this right now—he needed more time.  The sun was just rising over the horizon as Sam looked into the rear view mirror, leaving Sioux Falls, and hopefully, all his problems behind him. 

* * *

 

_February 13 th, Two days later…_

Dean was pissed.  He hadn’t heard a peep from his brother in forty-eight hours and that was beyond horrible.  He was seriously fucking angry and his mood was turning darker by the second.  Sam had done some stupid shit in his time, from bad-news women, to sharing test answers with his struggling friend in sixth grade.  Nothing had ever been _too_ terrible—until now.  Cas had started to subtly avoid him in the last few hours, not wanting to do or say anything to provoke another of Dean’s fuming tirades about his ‘dumb fuck’ of a brother.  What kind of an emotionally stunted jerk pulled this kind of crap right before Valentine’s Day?  ‘ _Winchesters,’_ Dean thought, ‘ _that’s who.’_

Gabe had been by yesterday.  Despite Dean having been under the impression that his brother was going to head to Gabe’s and fix this whole mess, Sam had vanished.  He wasn’t answering his phone anymore—not even for his brother, and Dean kind of wanted to punch him in his moose-y face.

Over the past five months, Dean had grown to actually _like_ Gabriel Novak.  The other man was his friend.  Sure, Gabe was loud and over-the-top and super grabby with Sam, but he was a decent guy who had a huge, caring heart.  The thing that finally made Dean snap was the difference in Gabe when he’d seen him that morning.

The first time Gabriel had come by, still wearing his pajamas, looking for Sam, the older man had seemed distraught and bordering on numb.  He was worried, but trying to push down his fears.  Dean respected that.  Emotions were just too fucking messy and sometimes it was best to put them aside and focus on fixing what you could in the moment.

Yesterday though, Gabe had been snarky and just plain _mean_.  The things he said about Michael were almost too much to hear, and Dean could tell that the hurt was beginning to bleed out into Gabriel’s feelings for Sam.  That wasn’t good.  For the first time in his life, Dean was disappointed with Sammy.  His brother needed to snap out of it and grow the fuck up before Dean kicked his ass, probably with Gabriel helping.

Castiel hadn’t said much after his brother had left.  But he _had_ mentioned to Dean that he had never seen Gabriel this furious before.  Dean could believe it.  For a little guy, he was kind of incredibly terrifying.

Dean knew that he needed to take out his frustrations somehow but he wasn’t very good at channeling his emotions at the best of times.  He tried calling Sam once more and threw his phone down angrily when the call went to voicemail for the hundredth time.  He knew that Gabriel had stopped trying to reach out, only saying that he would give Sam ‘whatever space he needed,’ in a biting tone.  Dean didn’t want his brother to fuck up the only good romantic relationship he’d ever had, but at this point, it might be too late to salvage.  Two fucking days without a word.  _‘What the hell are you thinking, Sammy?’_

Dean considered hopping into Baby and cruising around town looking for Gabriel’s car, but he’d done that yesterday and came up with nothing.  For lack of anything better to do, he threw on a coat and some fingerless gloves and headed out to the backyard.  He passed Cas in the kitchen who mentioned that he was going to go over and check on Gabe later, but Dean just grunted in response and walked outside.

There was a large pile of uncut logs in the corner of Cas’ yard under a large, barren tree.  Dean picked up the shiny axe from the back stoop and stalked over to it.  After the first hit, he felt marginally better.  Dean stayed in the yard, chopping logs into wood for the better part of the day.  He told himself he was just doing it so that he and Castiel could have a nice fire later.  He knew that he was only lying to himself.  The physical labor was calming him.  With each swing, Dean could feel some of his anger leaving him, and for the first time since Sam had taken off, he finally felt a little peace. 

* * *

 

Once Sam had started driving, he’d considered just going until he reached the coast, or Canada, or fucking somewhere else—anywhere.  Reality had set in about twenty miles from town and he’d hooked a u-turn and started to head back.  Right at the city limits, he pulled over into a gas station and sat in his car for a while, trying to figure out what to do to fix the mess he’d made.

A large sign with peeling paint advertised that the building next to the convenience store was a low-budget motel offering rooms for thirty dollars a night.  Sam knew that it was sketchy and would probably result in bedbugs, but honestly he couldn’t bring himself to care.  Before he could think, Sam was walking over and booking a room for the night.  No one would look for him here and he could manage the expense.  If all else failed, he had his emergency credit card in his wallet.

The man at the front desk had eyed him creepily and Sam tried not to run as he walked out and headed for his room.  The whole place was pretty depressing and it didn’t improve when Sam entered number eighteen on the end.  Only one lamp worked and everything was done in a motif that was better suited to the nineteen-seventies.  When he sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, dust billowed up off of the blankets.  Awesome.

If he wasn’t such a stubborn, stupid kid, he would be at Gabe’s right now, probably having sex.  But no—he had to panic at the words of a man that he’d never met and taken off.  Exhausted from his lack of sleep the previous night, Sam threw his phone on the bedside table and lay back onto the dirty bed.  He closed his eyes and a single tear leaked out, which just made him feel worse.  He wasn’t going to cry about this.

He rolled over onto his side as his phone began to vibrate.  He’d turned the ringer off so he could ignore it easier.  He knew that it was probably Dean.  Gabriel hadn’t sent anything since that last, awful text around two am last night.  _‘Maybe Michael was right.’_   It still hurt deeply to even think about it.

Sam knew that he had to fix this, but he was at a total loss.  He was too afraid to go back and see the look in Gabriel’s eyes as he tried to explain why he’d fled without a word.  He’d finally listened to all of the missed voicemails when he’d been loitering at the gas station.  By the end, his boyfriend’s voice had been so cold that he could have been speaking to a stranger.  The memory made Sam’s stomach roll.

He’d fucked up, going with his instincts instead of trying to be rational, and now it was going to bite him hard.  He had no idea what to do.  Sam closed his eyes, hoping for sleep.  For what felt like hours, he mentally role-played different scenarios, all of them ending with Gabriel breaking up with him cruelly.  Finally though, sleep came for him, and Sam Winchester slipped into blissful unconsciousness.  He didn’t wake for almost twenty-four hours.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Castiel finally steps in.  
> Sam and Gabe finally speak, but they both still suck a bunch.  
> Have some Dean and Cas fluff/smut to help ease the pain. Slightly NSFW

“I don’t know what you’re doing here,” Gabe said as he opened the door.  “I specifically remember that I told you I didn’t want to see anyone right now.”

“And I decided not to listen to you,” Cas said grumpily, stepping into the house.  “You’re being irrational.”

“I’m mad, Castiel,” Gabe snapped.  “Is that so hard to comprehend?”

“You’re beyond mad,” Cas said softly, following his brother into the darkened library.  The fireplace was lit for some reason, which struck Cas as odd.  Usually Gabriel didn’t do that until evenings.  It was cold outside, but not too terrible, so Castiel was confused at the sudden change in habit.  He eyes the flames warily and hoped his brother wasn’t doing something rash like burning Sam’s things.  He honestly wouldn’t put it past him considering the state that Gabriel was currently in.

Gabriel snorted angrily.  “Yeah, I am.  The kid fucked up!  I apologize if I’m not inclined to give him another chance right now.”

“I’ve never seen you this upset before,” Cas told him.  “Not even with Kali.”

“I really don’t need you to bring that bitch up right now when I kind of want to kill something,” Gabe told him furiously.

“My apologies,” Cas said.  The brothers stood, the silence echoing around them.  Gabe looked even angrier now, if that was even possible.  Cas knew that he had to do something because right now, he was just making things worse.  He knew what his brother was like when he started to hold a grudge.  The older Novak’s fury wasn’t going to go anywhere without a push.

“I know you don’t like to discuss her,” he said, referring to Gabriel’s volatile ex.  “But she was the longest relationship that you’ve ever been involved in until now.”

“I must be getting dumber in my old age,” Gabriel snarked.  “But I’m failing to grasp your point.  And honestly, bro, all you’re doing is making this worse.”

“You’ve never been like this before,” Cas pressed on.  “You were upset when things with Kali ended, but you moved on like you always do—and fast.

“Yeah, because that chick was crazy,” Gabriel turned away and Castiel watched his brother pour a drink.  It wasn’t even ten in the morning.  This wasn’t something Cas wanted to watch.

“It wasn’t just that,” Cas’ voice was soft.  “You didn’t love her, and you know it.”

Gabriel snorted into his glass.  “You’re right.  I didn’t.”

“But you love Sam,” Cas told him.  “That’s why you’re so upset right now.  Because it finally hurts to lose someone.”

Gabe was silent for a long while.  “I didn’t _lose_ him.  I know exactly where he is.”  Cas looked at his brother with a question in his features.  Gabriel rolled his eyes.  “I have a tracking device on the car.  Sam’s been at a piece-of-shit motel just outside of town.”

“And you didn’t go there?”

“Why should I?” Gabriel countered.

Castiel shook his head.  “This is not what we were discussing.”

“No,” Gabriel said sarcastically.  “You were trying to convince me that I’m in love with Sam, which I’m not.”

“You are.  And you’re a liar.” 

It was a statement, and a powerful one.  Enough of one that Gabriel finally snapped and threw his drink across the room into the far wall.  Glass flew into small, crystal shards, whiskey splashing onto a bookshelf.  Castiel actually jumped at his brother’s display of pure fire.  “So what if I am?” Gabe yelled.  “It doesn’t matter!  He obviously doesn’t _fucking_ return the sentiment!  He took off and ignored my calls and stole my car!”

“He didn’t steal your car,” Cas tried to placate the rage burning in his brother’s eyes.

“He sort of did.”

“You’re avoiding the importance of what you just said,” Cas said.  “You admitted that you love him.”

He knew that he was going to have to push—and hard—to make Gabriel snap out of this.  Sam meant well.  He just reacted in the wrong way, and now everything was falling apart.  Castiel couldn’t bear to watch his brother in so much pain.  He knew that Gabriel loved Sam more than anything.  He could see it in his brother’s eyes whenever he looked at him.  It was a look that Gabriel had never shown in the past.  It was almost raw and wholly pure.  Cas didn’t want Gabriel to lose out on the love of his life just because they were both being ridiculous assbutts.

“Grand theft auto aside,” Cas tried again.  “You love Sam and you want him back—don’t deny it.”  Gabe glowered and turned away to look at the fireplace.  “The Winchesters haven’t had it easy,” he said.

“Neither have we,” Gabriel’s voice was defeated.  He wasn’t wrong.  Their parents were dead, and Michael was a poor excuse for family, but all in all, the Novaks had pretty decent lives.

“Not as bad as them.” 

“A shitty childhood doesn’t excuse running off for days,” Gabriel sounded calmer.  He looked at Cas and the librarian was surprised to see tears beginning to brim in his older brother’s eyes.  “I was so worried that something happened to him.  It was all I could think about.  And then he just shows up at their old place, finally calls and says a few words to Dean and dis-a-fucking-pears.  For _days_!”

“Sam and Dean aren’t very good at communication,” Castiel said.  “It’s not like that’s a shock to either of us.  It’s caused problems with Dean and myself in the past, but we’ve worked through it.  You need to give Sam a chance.”

“I don’t feel like it,” Gabe pouted.

Castiel gave his brother a sad smile.  “If you don’t, then you’ll lose him forever,” he warned.  Gabriel looked horrified at the thought, but didn’t reply.  “Just think about it.  Please.”

“You’re my brother,” Gabe said dully.  “I thought you would be on my side.”

“I am,” Cas told him.  “But Sam is my friend, and I know that he loves you.  If it comes down to it, I will stand by you, whatever you decide.”  He paused and let his words sink in.  “But you’d be a fool to throw him away.”  With that parting shot, Castiel turned and let himself out of the house, leaving his brother alone with his thoughts.

* * *

_February 14 th, Valentine’s Day…_

When Sam finally woke up from his epic crash, he was starving.  He wandered to the gas station next to the motel and got a few granola bars, a travel-sized tube of toothpaste and a cheap plastic toothbrush.  He ate the snacks before he used the bathroom.  He then attempted to get ready for the day.  At least his teeth were finally clean, which was something. 

He’d grabbed a few pieces of clothes when he’d been overnight at the apartment, but he still didn’t have deodorant.  He showered, barely fitting into the small stand-up stall wedged in the corner of the bathroom, and he was careful not to touch the tile walls too much.  Once he was dried off and wearing clean clothes, he felt marginally better physically.  Mentally, he was a fucking disaster.

Sam sent a quick text to Dean, apologizing—again—and telling him that he was okay and obviously still alive.  After he pressed send, he turned his phone completely off, not wanting to be disturbed for this.  It was time he faced the music.  At the very least, he had to return Gabriel’s car.  He checked out of the dingy motel and got on the road, this time heading back into the city limits of Sioux Falls.

With his nerves, and in his current state of distraction, he made a few wrong turns before he started to recognize landmarks.  After a few miles, he saw his turn-off up ahead.  Taking a deep breath and hoping that his pounding heart wouldn’t send him to an early grave, Sam knew that it was now or never and flipped on the turn signal.

He was buzzed through the gate into Gabe’s neighborhood.  Sam wound the BMW through the streets, finally pulling into the driveway of his boyfriend’s house.  It looked empty, probably due to the early hour.  Sam didn’t bother pulling into the garage.  He parked in front of the house and walked up the steps, pressing his finger to the keypad, unlocking the place.  He was a little surprised that Gabriel hadn’t barred him access to the house by now.  He’d take the small victory while he had something to hold on to.

“Hello?” Sam called out.  No one answered.  He peeked into various rooms, but Gabriel was nowhere to be found.  When Sam finally pushed open the door to the library, the first thing he noticed was that the fire was going.  The second thing he saw was his boyfriend sitting on a chair in the corner glaring at him.

Gabe was wearing red boxers and a white tank top, despite the cold, and he looked so far past furious that Sam actually looked away.  Gabriel’s hair was rumpled and he looked like he hadn’t slept the entire time that Sam had been away.  “Nice to see you’re still alive, Samuel,” he said bitingly.

Sam winced at the use of his full name.  He wanted Gabe to call him something silly again, or say ‘It’s okay, kiddo,’ so that they could move on from this—but it didn’t seem likely.  “Hi.”

“Really?  You’re going with ‘Hi?’” Gabe’s fingers were gripping the arm of the chair, his knuckles white.  “You take off for _two_ days and then wander back home and you just start with ‘Hi?’”

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s better,” Gabriel’s voice was hard.

“I fucked up,” Sam tried.  Gabe just looked at him.  “I’m so sorry.  I shouldn’t have run off like that.  I should have stayed and talked to you, but I panicked.  Everything that Michael said about me is the truth.  I’ve been thinking the same things for months and it just sent me over the edge.”

Unbearable silence.  “It’s a shitty excuse,” Gabriel finally said.

“I know.”  Sam wasn’t sure what else to say.

“You’ve had a problem with me being well-off the entire time,” Gabriel said.  “It’s not a secret.  I’ve done my best to not shove it down your throat, but I seem to keep messing it up and you go all twitchy on me.”

“I’m sorry,” Sam said.

“Now you’re telling me that my dick-bag brother hit a nerve calling you a gold-digger, even though I’ve warned you that he’s an asshole.”  Gabriel fixed him with a look.  “You can’t let people’s stupid fucking opinions matter so much.  I know what Michael said was beyond fucked up, but come on, Sam,” he shook his head.  “Give me a little fucking credit.”

“I should have.  I was wrong,” he said.  “I can’t say that I’m sorry enough.  I wish I hadn’t left, but I can’t change that it happened.  I don’t want the things he said to matter to me, but it does.  He’s your family—even if you can’t stand him—and he just said what was the truth.  I’m not good enough for you.”  Sam’s heart was breaking even saying those words out loud.  He felt as though a sharp knife was slicing him right to the core.

“I make up my own mind about who is ‘good enough’ for me,” Gabriel snapped.  “ _Not_ my brother.”  Sam watched his boyfriend warily.  Whatever Gabe was going to say next was not something he wanted to hear.  But Sam knew that he would stand there and take it, no matter how horrible it was.  “I’m disappointed.”

Okay, that hurt worse than he’d expected.  Sam sucked in a breath.  This was it, wasn’t it?  Gabriel was going to break up with him, and kick him out, and Sam knew that he was never going to be happy again.

“You look dead on your feet,” Gabriel observed after a long while.  It wasn’t what Sam had planned to hear, and he blinked in confusion for a moment.  “Go upstairs and take a nap. We can talk more about this later.”

Sam nodded, relived.  Gabe wasn’t kicking him out just yet.  Sam sighed heavily.  He’d only been awake for a little more than an hour, but he was completely drained.  “Are you coming too?” he asked tentatively.

“No.” Gabriel dashed his hopes with one word.  “I have to get out for a while.  Clear my head.”  Sam noticed how hypocritical it was that Gabe was mad at him for running away and now his boyfriend was doing the same damn thing; but he didn’t say anything.  He didn’t want to make this any worse.

He nodded, defeated.  “Will you be back when I wake up?”

“Maybe,” Gabe shrugged.  He turned off the fireplace and walked away without another word.

Sam followed a little while later, heading up to the master bedroom.  He could hear Gabe moving around in his closet, getting dressed.  Sam collapsed on ‘his’ side of the bed and rolled over, pulling one of the pillows close to his chest.  They didn’t speak while Gabriel got ready to leave and Sam ached, feeling as though there were miles between them.  He closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep when Gabriel finally emerged.  His boyfriend said nothing when he left, simply shutting the door quietly behind him.  Footsteps headed away down the hall and Sam listened, fervently hoping that this wouldn’t be his last time sleeping in this bed.

* * *

Dean was ranting that Sam’s phone was turned off when Cas finally pulled himself out of bed.  He pushed himself up and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s bare shoulders, trying to give him some sort of comfort.  The last few days hadn’t been easy on any of them and Cas was dreading what was in store.  He had hoped that things would be better by now, but so far, no one knew where Gabriel and Sam stood.  It was driving Dean crazy, and by extension, Cas too.

Unfortunately, today was Valentine’s Day.  Cas had never celebrated the holiday with someone before and he had been looking forward to marking the occasion.  He knew that Dean wasn’t in the mood.  Not that his boyfriend _liked_ the idea of Valentine’s Day in the first place.  Dean had spent most of the month complaining about it before Cas told him to stuff it.

For the past two weeks, Cas had been sneaking out on the nights that Dean and Sam ate dinner with their father.  He would wait for the Impala to head down the street and then Cas would go to The Roadhouse alone.  He’d struck up a conversation with Ellen, the owner, one night and things had kind of snowballed from there.  Ellen had chuckled when Cas regaled her with his cooking mishaps and, for a price, offered to give him a few lessons in her restaurant’s kitchen.

He’d been coming two nights a week, meeting Ellen and her daughter Jo, the hostess, learning how to properly cook a true Roadhouse burger.  He had meant to surprise Dean on February 14th with a perfectly cooked meal that he knew his boyfriend would enjoy.  The way that things were now though, Cas was beginning to wonder if he should even bother.  Dean was in a terrible mood.

“I was hoping that today would be pleasant,” Cas said mournfully, kissing Dean’s bare shoulder.

“I’m fucking sorry,” Dean actually sounded regretful.  “I’m just so pissed at Sammy right now; and I have this really shitty feeling that your brother is going to kick him to the curb.  Sam won’t be able to handle that.”

“You should give Gabriel more credit,” Castiel said.

“I know you talked to him,” Dean turned to look into Cas’ eyes.  “But you said he was furious and that you didn’t think you got through to him.”

“I did,” Cas was firm.  “I’m sure he’ll listen to Sam before acting rashly.”

“I fucking hope so.”  But he sounded skeptical.

“My brother may have an issue with holding a grudge,” Cas said slowly.  “But he _does_ love Sam very much.  I simply had to remind him of that.  He’s never been this way with anyone.  If they do decide to end things, Gabriel will probably be even more devastated than Sam in the long run.”

“I doubt that,” Dean scoffed.  “Sam is crazy about Gabe.  He’ll probably drown himself in the tub if Gabriel doesn’t take him back after this stunt.”

“Speaking of bathing,” Cas tried.  “Would you consider pretending that everything is fine for twenty minutes and joining me in the shower?”

Dean gave him a small smile.  “That actually sounds like a good idea.  There’s nothing we can fucking do about it anyway, may as well distract ourselves.”

It wasn’t romantic, but Cas would take it.  They moved to the bathroom and started the large shower that Cas had insisted upon when he first bought the house.  When they stepped under the spray, Dean pulled him close and feathered kisses along his features.  Cas tilted his head back, savoring the caresses.  He was already hard, and Dean was right behind him.  They moved, facing one another, under the steaming water, seeking comfort in the contact.

Dean reached down between them, and fisted their cocks together somewhat roughly.  Cas jolted and shook his head.  “Sorry,” Dean rumbled.  He grabbed a bottle of body wash off of the small shelf and filled his hand with the stuff.  When Dean’s hand made contact again, it was slippery and didn’t hurt anymore.  Cas moaned as Dean rubbed them together, working their dicks in unison with a frenzied grip.

Cas bucked his hips forward, thrusting upward.  Dean gasped at the feeling of delicious friction between them and kissed Castiel deeply.  “Thank you for this,” Dean said into his mouth.  “I needed this.”

“I did too,” Cas replied.

Their voices mingled, echoing off the walls of the small room as their passion built up quickly.  Before he could even give voice to it, Cas was coming over Dean’s hand, his own palms braced on the cool tile walls of the shower.  Dean joined him seconds later, spurting a large amount of cum over both of them.  “Fuck, that was good,” Dean gasped, as their bodies relaxed into one another.

Looking up into his lover’s eyes, Cas kissed the side of Dean’s face lightly.  “Happy Valentine’s Day,” he said.

“I hope it turns out that way, and not just for us,” Dean’s voice was gloomy.

“As you said,” Cas tried to console him. “There’s nothing we can do about it.  I’m sure it will work out in the end.  My brother can be a dick, but he isn’t stupid.”

Dean didn’t reply and Cas began to simply kiss his boyfriend, hoping to ease his pain and worries as best as he could.  As Dean began to respond, Cas increased the intensity of his touches.  By the time they finished and were drying off, Castiel decided that he was going to try and salvage the day.  He had spent so much time practicing, and he was going to make the burgers that he’d worked so hard on for his Dean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was totally planning on just two chapters today but I realized that would leave us off here and then everyone would have to wait for tomorrow for things to be better and I feel guilty doing that (also I would be mad at myself if I did that)...so I'll post one more chapter later today and I promise it will make things all better...just a little longer kiddos...I promise.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Balthazar is a good friend.  
> Cas and Dean celebrate Valentine's Day.  
> Gabe and Sam finally talk things out. *whew* (Also it is slightly NSFW)

After driving around aimlessly for over an hour, Gabriel found himself in what had to be the _most_ depressing place to spend Valentine’s Day.  A week ago, he had not expected to end up spending February 14th alone at The Pan-ty Dropper, ordering shot after shot from an increasingly frustrated Meg.

It was just after noon and the bar was mostly empty, save for the employees.  There were two other patrons, also seated alone, who looked about the same way that Gabriel felt.  It was fucking dismal.  He didn’t move when Balthazar took the stool next to him and watched him closely.  “What are you doing here?” his friend asked.

“What does it look like?  I’m knitting a fucking sweater,” Gabriel took a deep drink.

“Where’s your hulking boyfriend?” Balthazar’s tone was tinged with concern.  “I’ve hardly seen you two out of each other’s sight since October.”

Gabriel shrugged.  “He’s at my house.”

“And you’re here, getting properly sloshed at half past twelve on the biggest romantic holiday of the year, why?”

“I’m angry with him,” Gabe turned and glared at his friend.

“You picked a fight on Valentine’s Day?”

“Hey,” Gabe snapped his fingers.  “ _I_ didn’t do anything—he’s the one that messed up.  And it happened a few days ago, anyway.”

Balthazar sat back in his seat and whistled low.  “Mind if ask what happened?”

“I do.”

“You know you’ll tell me eventually,” the bar owner chided.  “You always tell me about your romantic issues.”

“Not this time,” Gabriel was firm.  He took another drink, slamming the glass onto the counter sharply.  “Okay,” he caved after literally a second.  “Michael showed up and stirred the shit pot and Sam couldn’t handle it.  He took off and didn’t contact me for two days because his feelings got hurt.”

Balthazar grimaced and made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat.  He’d met the oldest Novak before and found Michael to be a bloody fuck at the best of times.  “What did he say?”

“He went after Sam, basically saying he was trash and only with me for my money,” Gabriel sounded hurt.  “Sam has…issues…with me.”

“With you?  Or with your bank account?”  As usual, Balthazar was spot on.

“With the money.”

Nodding, Balthazar picked up his own glass of diet cola and took a sip.  “From what little I know of the Winchesters, they’re good men, but proud.  I don’t blame Sam for not being comfortable if you shower him with gifts.  I, myself, would feel like a prostitute in that situation.”

“I don’t flaunt it…much,” Gabe muttered.

“If it was already bothering him and your brother poked at that wound, then it’s only natural for him to ‘freak out,’” Balthazar surmised.  “Perhaps you’re being too hard on him?”

“He disappeared.  For two days.  Not a fucking word,” Gabriel reminded him.

“And you’re surprised?”

Gabe’s eyes snapped up sharply toward his friend.  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re not exactly the easiest person to deal with when you’re upset,” Balthazar reminded him gently.  “Remember when we first met, you had a teenaged brother to raise on your own.  And you had just broken up with that girl?”

“Why the fuck does everyone keep bringing Kali into this?” Gabe groaned.  “Okay, fine,” he admitted.  “I’m a fucking nightmare when I’m angry, I get it.”

“Did you say, or do, anything that might have made Sam think he _couldn’t_ talk to you right away?”  The bar owner asked pointedly.

Gabriel was silent, blinking.  He rubbed his eyes and said, “Fuck.”

“Thought so.”

“You’re a smug son-of-a-bitch, you know that?” Gabriel snapped.  “I fucking yelled.  I yelled at Michael and I yelled at Sam.  I wasn’t mad at him.  But he was trying to leave, and I wanted him to stay so that he could see that I didn’t care about what Mikey said.  I might have been a little crazy.  Maybe scary.  I don’t know.  Fuck.”

“So he reacted and took off,” Balthazar said.  “You can’t blame him for the ‘fight or flight’ response kicking in.  As I said, you’re frightening.”  Gabriel started to speak but his friend cut him off.  “He shouldn’t have went radio silent for two days—that’s on him, and you have every reason to be angry about it.  But you have to admit that you might have contributed to this mess as well.  I’m just saying, you know, as your friend.”

"You’re right,” Gabe said after a while.  “I have to go home.”

“Please do,” Balthazar stood.  “Benny has already called you a ride because you’re a complete and utter hot mess right now.  Leave your car in the lot.  I’ll drop it off tonight before my date.”

“Of course you have a date on Valentine’s Day.”

“You could too, if you pull your head out of your arse,” Balthazar said pointedly.

“Thanks,” Gabriel said.  They clapped one another on the back in a fake sort of hug.

Balthazar’s eyes warmed.  “You know, I’ve never seen you happier than you are with Sam.  Go and get him back—I don’t want to watch you fall apart if you’ve messed this up beyond repair.  Grovel.  And don’t fucking yell at him.”

“Ten-four,” Gabe gave him a saucy salute and walked out of the bar.  He slid into the back seat of the car idling at the curb, waiting for him, and gave the driver his address.  Balthazar was right.  He needed Sam.  He needed the kid more than air—or sugar, for that matter.  Gabriel knew that he was going to have to suck it up and hope that Sam forgave him.  They were both in the wrong, but they could move past this.  They had to.  And Gabriel Novak wasn’t going to give up without a fight.

* * *

Dean’s day had marginally improved after showering with Cas.  Nothing like a good frot to take your mind off of your brother’s life falling apart around him.  Dean kept checking his phone to no avail, but refrained from commenting on it to Castiel.  He knew that his boyfriend wanted the day to be nice for them, and he was willing to suck it up and play along to please Cas.

They had snuggled in bed for a long while after their shower before putting on a movie that Cas picked out for them to watch.  It was boring, in Dean’s opinion; a trite and predictable romantic comedy.  But it made Cas smile and cuddle with him even more, so he didn’t complain—too much.

Around five, Cas got up and went to start making dinner.  Dean offered to help, not wanting a repeat of the pot roast, but Cas refused and told him to stay put.  Cas insisted that this was a Valentine’s surprise.  Dean wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that, and prepared to smile through whatever it was that Cas put in front of him.  He was certain that he could find _something_ nice to say about the food.  It was kind of endearing that Castiel was such a horrible cook, despite his determination to keep making food for them to eat.

When he joined Cas at the table later, he was surprised to note that it actually looked _good._   Large burgers on thick sesame seed buns took up most of the space on the plate.  There was a large helping of fresh cut fries, and all of the condiments that Dean liked.  He grimaced a little with apprehension as he picked up the burger.  Just because it looked and smelled mouth-watering didn’t mean that it would be edible.

“Holy crap,” he said around his first mouthful of food.  The burger tasted as though it had been fried in a vat of butter and was perfectly pink at the center. The sauce covering the buns was familiar and the cheese was melted astoundingly gooey along the patty.  “This is amazing!”

“I’m glad you like it,” Cas smiled.  “It took a great deal of trial and error, I must admit.”

“You’ve been holding out on me,” Dean accused playfully.  “Seriously.  You said you couldn’t cook and I’ve seen the proof.  What gives?”

Cas ducked his head.  “I’ve been getting instruction from the ladies at The Roadhouse on the nights you dine with John and Sam.”

“You sneaky bastard,” Dean smiled.  He swallowed his food before he leaned in for a sloppy kiss.  “This is great!  Maybe Valentine’s Day doesn’t suck too much.”

“That was surprisingly sappy for you,” his boyfriend observed.

“Well, that can stay between us,” Dean smiled.  “Seriously, this is fantastic!”

They ate in silence for a while, both men enjoying their meal.  Finally, Dean pushed away his plate and gazed out the window, where the sun had finally set.  “You hear anything?”

Cas didn’t pretend that he was confused by Dean’s vague words.  He knew what had been plaguing them both for days.  “No.  Nothing yet.”

Dean sighed.  “Okay, that’s it.  I’m not going to work myself up over this anymore—especially not today.  Today is for you.  Let’s go to bed and see what kind of trouble we can get up to.  At least until you’ve got me so worn out that I can’t move for an entire day.”

“I’ll attempt to do my best to be vigorous for you,” Cas said dryly.

“I’m expecting a deep dicking,” Dean winked.

“Charming.”

“I’m adorable.”  _‘Yes,’_ thought Cas, _‘he was.’_

* * *

Sam didn’t hear anything when he finally pulled himself awake.  The bedroom was completely dark and there was a complete absence of sound.  He set his jaw and rolled over, actually shouting when he saw Gabriel sitting next to him in the darkness.  “You scared the shit out of me,” he gasped, placing his hand over his chest.

“Now you know how it feels,” Gabe’s voice was flat.  “Sucks, doesn’t it?”

“What?”

Gabriel turned his head, looking at him sadly.  “Why do you think I was so angry, Sam?”  He waited while Sam shrugged uncertainly and pushed himself up so that they were sitting against the headboard with their shoulders brushing.  “I was _scared._ ” Gabe told him.  “I spent two days worrying that you were dead somewhere and I couldn’t handle that.”

Sam hadn’t even considered that something like that would cross his boyfriend’s mind.  The guilt rolled within him.  He’d been AWOL for two days—of course Gabriel was concerned.  “I didn’t mean to—“

“I know,” Gabe interrupted.  “But you did.”  He sighed heavily and Sam could smell liquor on his breath.  Apparently his boyfriend had spent the day drinking away his sorrows.  Great, Sam was pushing people toward alcoholism now.  “I want to apologize.”

Sam hadn’t expected that at all and he did a double-take.  “What?  Why?  You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Yes I did.”  Gabe turned to look at him.  “I was informed this afternoon that apparently I’m ‘frightening’ when I’m angry.  Also, that I might have given you the wrong impression that morning.  Let me be very clear—I was _not_ pissed off at you.  Not then, anyway.”  Gabe waved his hand, dismissing his last comment.  “I might have over-reacted to my feelings at what my brother said about you and I snapped.  I shouldn’t have yelled at you, and for that I’m sorry.”

While the main motivation for Sam’s flight had been what Michael had said to him, there was a small part of it that _was_ his reaction to his boyfriend being so…furious.  Gabriel’s temper _had_ freaked him out, contributing to his rash decision; but Sam was determined to take the blame that he knew he deserved.  “I still should have stayed.

“In hindsight, that would have been the best course of action,” Gabe actually gave him a small smile.  “Look, kiddo,” he said and Sam felt a rush of warmth cover his entire body.  “I get that what Mikey said to you was horrible.  You have every right to be angry about it—I can’t even get into how fucking livid I am with my brother right now.  I should have kicked him out of my house the moment that he even _looked_ at you.”

Gabriel paused for a moment, his eyes searching Sam’s.  “I know my brother,” he said.  “And I knew that he would be…unreasonable, at best.  This is on me.”

“No,” Sam pressed, leaning toward Gabe and instinctually grabbing his hand.  “It’s my fault.  I am so fucking sorry that I ran off.  And I definitely shouldn’t have waited for two days to come home.”  He snapped his mouth shut, realizing that he’d just referred to Gabe’s house as his own as well.

“You know that’s what this is, right kiddo?”  Gabe smiled at him softly.  “This _is_ your home.  You’re one hundred percent right about that.”

“It is?” Sam felt the hope that he’d thought was gone flare to life inside of him.

“Yeah,” Gabriel said.  “You belong here.  With me.”

“So…we aren’t breaking up?”

Gabe was hesitant as he leaned in.  He gave Sam a soft kiss, right on his lips, and both men felt the tingle shoot through them.  “I’ve had multiple people inform me of how stupid I would be if I let you go.  Don’t make me look like a moron.”

“I won’t,” Sam smiled for the first time.

“Good.”  They kissed again, chastely, and moved back to gaze into one another’s eyes.  “I’m meeting with Michael in the morning.” Gabe told him.  “You are _not_ coming with me, because I might actually stab him and I don’t want to freak you out again.”  Sam chuckled, but it was slightly strained.  “Castiel is coming with me to babysit and make sure I don’t commit murder.”

“I’d miss you if you went to prison,” Sam quipped.

“Not as much as I’d miss you,” Gabe told him.  “We are going to ask Michael to leave town.  Hopefully he’s smart and does it without making things difficult.  I’m also going to tell him to fuck off about my trust.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Sam sucked in a breath.

“Kiddo,” Gabe laughed.  “It’s not like it actually _need_ the cash.  It’s more of a sentimental thing since my dad left it to me.  Cas is giving his up too so that Mikey doesn’t come back in a few years and try the same shit with Dean.”

“I doubt that would go over very well,” Sam commented.

“Not for Michael, that’s for sure.”  Gabe smiled.  “I don’t need the money, okay?  I can see your mind whirling around and you need to knock it off.  Mikey’s on a power trip, and if he thinks I’m giving up the best thing that ever happened to me for a few bucks, then he’s crazier than I thought.”

Sam froze when Gabriel referred to him as ‘the best thing,’ and his breath caught.  He couldn’t stop himself, even though he felt that this wasn’t the time.  He didn’t want to say it when they were coming down from their first big fight.  He wanted it to be romantic and heartfelt and during a time when they were both deliriously happy—but the words popped out anyway.  “I love you.”

Gabe’s eyes opened wide and a slow grin spread across his face.  “Took you long enough, kiddo,” he teased.  “I love you too.”

Sam knew then, that it actually _had_ been the right time.  He’d been pushing it down for months because he was too afraid to admit that he’d fallen for this man the night that they met.  It was freeing and wild and Sam never wanted to come down from this high.  Gabe moved fast, climbing over him and settling in Sam’s lap.  Before he could register that this was happening—they weren’t fighting anymore—Sam was being yanked into a bruising kiss.

They moved together fiercely, grinding their bodies against one another.  Sam was desperate for Gabe’s affection, returning everything he got ten-fold.  “I’m so sorry,” Sam groaned again.

“Don’t,” Gabe told him.  “It’s over.  If you apologize again, I’ll deck you,” he smiled mischievously up at him.  “I’m pretty sure I can reach your face.”

“If you stand on your tip-toes,” Sam shot back.

“Don’t sass me, Samshine,” Gabe fixed him with a look.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

And with that, it was truly over.  Gabe pulled him in hard, and they crashed together, teeth and hands and lips, moving, begging for more.  There were whispered endearments, and a lot of ‘I missed you,’ thrown between them.  They tore at each other’s clothes urgently, shedding garments and sending them flying throughout the room.

Gabe fisted Sam’s hair confidently, tilting his head back and devouring the younger man’s neck.  His tongue ran along Sam’s throat enticingly.  Sam gasped and pulled at Gabe’s back, wanting more contact.  With surprising agility, Gabriel gripped Sam tightly and brought him down onto his back, holding Sam’s hands above them.

He exercised control, leaving Sam pleading for more as he kissed his boyfriend soundly.  One hand gripped Sam’s wrists, pinning him, while the other snaked down to cup Sam’s growing erection.  Gabriel smirked as Sam bucked into his palm.  “You’re all mine, kiddo.”

Wasn’t that the truth?  Had it only been minutes ago, that Sam had been thinking that he would be forced to walk away from all this?  Just the fleeting thought had him shivering.  Gabe released him, and caressed Sam’s face tenderly.  “I’m not going anywhere—and neither are you,” he said firmly.  “Stay with me.”

Sam nodded at the words.  “I love you,” he repeated.

Gabriel smiled down at him.  “I would have fought with you months ago if I’d known I could get that admission more than once in the span of an hour.”

“Please,” Sam croaked.  “Don’t tease.  Just—love me back?”

“That I can do,” Gabe was serious. 

There were no words as they continued to touch one another, making up for the pain of the last few days.  They both craved the contact, reveling in the feeling of contentment and affection.  When Gabriel moved to grab the condoms from the drawer, Sam stopped him harshly.  He gripped the skin of his boyfriend’s arm tightly and shook his head. “No.”

“Sam—“

“No,” he repeated.  “I want to feel you.  _All_ of you.”

In response, Gabriel kissed him passionately.  Sam protested when he moved away again but Gabe was adamant that he was just getting lube and that Sam wasn’t going to talk him out of that.  By the time he slicked up his cock and began to press into Sam, the younger man was whining with need.

Gabriel carefully slid in, one powerful thrust, bumping Sam deeper into the pillows of their bed.  He grazed Sam’s prostate, bringing forth a pleasurable cry from the man.  “I’ve never done this before,” Gabe whispered into Sam’s ear.

“What?”

“No glove, no love.  That’s always been my motto,” Gabriel said roughly.  “I didn’t know it would be so…much.”

“It feels perfect,” Sam breathed.

“Yeah, kiddo.”

They moved as one in delectable harmony.  Their cries surrounded them, filling the bedroom.  Sam had never felt this pull—this connection—before and he wasn’t afraid.  He felt so peaceful, knowing that he would spend the rest of his life loving this man.  When Gabriel stilled above him, spilling deep inside of him, Sam gripped his lover tight and pressed them as close as he could manage.  He followed, gasping, and repeating declarations of his love into Gabe’s ear.

This was it.  Sam had fallen so quickly and so horrifically hard that he knew he would need Gabriel forever.  For the first time since this whole mess had started, Sam knew that he and his boyfriend were on the same page.  He could almost taste the future, holding Gabe snug in his arms as their bodies relaxed.

Later, when they were lying the dark in each other’s arms, Gabe kissed him sweetly, winding his arms around Sam’s waist.  “If you ever doubt that I love you back, remember tonight.”

Sam knew that would never be an issue.  He would never forget this moment, or this man.  They cuddled together, Sam leeching Gabe’s inhuman warmth and drifted off to sleep.  Both of them were comforted by the other’s touch, and pushed all thoughts of the events of the week away.

At some point during the night, Gabriel stole all of the covers, despite the fact that he didn’t actually need them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALL BETTER!!
> 
> There's only one more real chapter of this story...the last chapter is an epilogue of sorts and they will both be posted tomorrow.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrapping things up...lots of time jumps and a little NSFW mentions...

Michael Novak left town the next day before eleven.  Apparently, Gabriel had screamed so loudly at his brother that there had been numerous guest complaints about the volume and amount of profanity.  Castiel did his best to calm his siblings down, but nothing would get through to either of them.  Security was called and the hotel staff politely requested that none of them ever visit again. 

The guards finally intervened in a not-so-cordial manner when Gabriel threw a punch, breaking his brother’s nose.  Between the screaming and the bloody tissues, Michael declared that he never wanted to see either of them again, to which Gabriel replied, that nothing would make him happier and to “fuck off back to England and your shitty chocolates.”

In early April, they headed to Denver to pay a visit to Lucifer.  The surgeon had contacted them soon after the situation with Michael, apologizing for any trouble he had caused by mentioning the Winchesters to their eldest brother.  He was forgiven immediately, especially when Luci used some very inventive swear words to describe their now estranged family member.

Dean insisted on driving across state lines because he refused to set foot on an airplane.  He also wouldn’t allow anyone else behind the wheel until Cas snapped at him and forcibly removed Dean from the driver’s seat.  Sam and Castiel flipped a coin to see who would take over for Dean with Cas winning and all of them piling back in the car.

Castiel kept changing the radio stations that Dean had picked out, and when his boyfriend complained, he informed him that he was driving now, and that the music selection was Cas’ choice.  Dean pouted, but he’d made the rule himself and eventually gave in.  Sam and Gabe squished into the backseat with Gabriel perpetually quizzing Sam on his new pre-law courses, which Sam was currently acing. 

They arrived in Denver to a dusting of snow on the ground, which surprised them all.  Lucifer’s house was located in an affluent area of the Cherry Creek neighborhood, but it was easy to locate.  The surgeon explained to them that while he would prefer to live closer to the mountains, he only had about a seven minute commute to his hospital, which made it worthwhile.

The first night, they walked a few blocks to a restaurant called ‘Cherry Cricket.’  Once Dean tasted their burgers, he exclaimed that The Roadhouse might have some stiff competition.  Both Cas and Sam were shocked, but Gabriel agreed with Dean’s assessment when he discovered that he could have raspberry jam on his burger.  Everyone else agreed that condiment sounded disgusting and gave him shit for it for the rest of the night.

They did typical tourist things, even wandering up into one of the mountain towns for a day to check out the ski resorts.  No one dared participate in the sport, but they were all content to sit in one of the lodges and drink cocoa and peppermint schnapps.

On their last night, they headed over to a different area of downtown, parked, and walked around with Lucifer leading the way.  He kept teasing them all for holding hands.  They found the small storefront with ease and wandered inside the brightly lit room.  They checked in with the receptionist and waited until everything was set up.

“Oh, shit,” Dean ground out as the needle worked into his skin.  “You’re a fucking liar,” he shouted at Lucifer.  Dean had walked into the tattoo parlor full of confidence, which made Sam smile and shake his head.  As soon as they were in the chair, it was an unexpected turn of events.  He never thought that he would see his older brother squirm so much.

Lucifer had come through on his promise to introduce them to his artist, and Dean had been the lucky one on Charlie’s table.  Sam was sitting in a chair with a young woman named Becky attending to him.  She was super excitable and seemed a little _too_ interested in Sam’s chest.  He found it uncomfortable, but Gabriel thought it was funny and kept remarking to the young lady that Sam really _was_ as firm as he looked.

“Don’t be a baby,” the red-headed tattoo artist, Charlie, teased Dean.  “You’re tough—act like it.  I’m gently tickling you.”

“I hate you,” Dean smiled at her.

“It’s really not that bad, Dean,” Sam teased his brother.  “Just relax into it.  It feels kind of nice.”

“Told you,” Gabriel and Lucifer said in unison.

Dean grit his teeth and glared at all of them.  His expression softened when Cas gently took his hand.  When he focused on those luminous blue eyes, he couldn’t feel anything but love.

“Do you want some comfort too, Samsquatch?” Gabe asked, ogling his boyfriend’s bare chest. 

“I’m good,” Sam said.  “If I cry later, you can kiss it better.”

“I look forward to it,” Gabe winked.

“Get a room,” Dean growled.

They left Denver on a Saturday with an invitation to come back whenever they wished.  By the end of the trip, both Sam and Dean had found that they really enjoyed Lucifer’s company.  He was especially mellow around his girlfriend, Kelly, who had joined them for dinner on a few occasions.

The drive back was long and tedious, most of the goodwill of the last few days used up as they neared Sioux Falls.  When Dean dropped Gabriel and Sam off, they waved and ran into the house with barely a word.  “They’re either sick of us, or really horny,” Dean commented as he drove away.

“I don’t like to picture either scenario,” Cas told him.

“Yeah, me either.”

* * *

Dean had officially moved in with Cas just after the debacle that was Valentine’s Day.  On Sam’s birthday in May, Gabriel _finally_ convinced Sam to take the plunge.  After a little bickering, he added Sam to the deed on his house, despite fervent protests from his boyfriend.

“I want to make sure you stay here if anything happens,” Gabe told him.

“What?  Like you dying?  You’re thirty-five, you’re not going to die any time soon!” Sam sounded hysterical.

“People have pianos fall on their heads every day,” Gabriel said, laughing.

“That’s not funny and it’s untrue.”

“Just let me do this, for my own sanity,” Gabe pouted.

* * *

“Dean, you didn’t have to do this,” Cas insisted as he walked into their home after a particularly hard day at work.  Somehow the waiting list had been messed up and four different people had shown up expecting the same book.  Cas had only received one copy of the novel, and spent the better part of his day placating angry patrons.

“I wanted to,” Dean smiled.  The table was set with candles and there was a gathering of lilacs sitting in a tiny bottle next to Cas’ plate.  “The chick at the flower place said that bees like those ones,” Dean looked so proud of himself and Cas melted. 

He had only mentioned his affinity for the insect once in their time together, that he could recall.  He was truly grateful to have such an amazing man to come home to.

* * *

“Why are you up so early?” Gabe peeked over the covers and watched Sam move around their room.

“I want to get to the library,” Sam told him, holding up a book.

Gabe was incredulous.  “Your classes ended last week.  You’re on summer break,” he pointed out.  “Come back to bed.”

“I have to return this or I’ll get a late fee.”

“Kiddo, my brother is in charge of the late fees—I’m sure he’ll waive it for you.”  Gabe smirked.  “Now do I have to beg?  Because it’s way too early to be awake if I’m not getting laid.”

Sam smiled at him and rolled his eyes.  “You’re incorrigible.”

“Shut up and fuck me.”

* * *

Dean gripped the straps, holding on for dear life as he finally came.  Cas was panting, supporting his weight with the help of all the fixtures.  “That was fucking intense!” Dean said.

“I never imagined anything like this,” Cas was gasping in his ear.  “Please don’t tell my brother that we actually used his Christmas gift—he’ll never let me hear the end of it.”

“My lips are sealed,” Dean leaned in for a kiss.  “Now get me out of this thing!”

* * *

Castiel and Gabe were visibly edgy when they knocked on the door to the Winchester’s old apartment in late June.  When John opened the door and brought them in, they didn’t relax for a long time.  The conversation was short but pleasant.  John had officially moved to Sioux Falls after the New Year.  When Dean had left to go live with Cas, he shared the rent with Sam for a short time.  Once Gabriel had begged Sam to stay with him at ‘their’ house, John hadn’t said a word when Sam asked if he minded taking on the full responsibility of the rent.  His boys were growing up and starting their own lives and John couldn’t have been happier for them.

John Winchester never told his sons about the impromptu visit he had received from the Novak brothers.  That was something that his boys could figure out on their own someday.  The three men had spoken, a serious, hushed conversation filled with awkward silences and a lot of nervous energy.

When Gabriel and Cas had left John’s place, the eldest Winchester was more happy than he cared to admit.  Finally, his sons were going to have the life that they deserved.

* * *

Castiel had his arms around Dean as they stood in their bedroom, kissing.  He had been waiting all day for this moment.  Dean’s hand ran along his back and gripped his shirt tightly.  Their tongues wound together as Dean pulled Cas close, pressing their chests firmly as one.  Cas reached up and grabbed Dean’s hair, giving it a little tug, drawing a moan from his boyfriend.

He could feel Dean reach between them, pawing at Castiel’s belt and he stopped suddenly and stepped back.  “Wait.”

* * *

Gabriel set his drink down on the mantle of the library’s fireplace and eyed Sam.  The room had become a favorite of theirs for intimate encounters after Thanksgiving and it looked as though tonight would be no exception.  He reached for Sam’s arm and tugged at his boyfriend so that they were standing directly in front of the crackling fire.  “Something on your mind, Sam?”

* * *

“You’re killing me, Cas,” Dean groaned as they moved apart.  “I had a shit day.  A freaking car almost fell on me—did I tell you that?  I’ve been literally breathing just to make it to tonight so I can be with you.”

“I know,” Cas said.  “I just…I have something to say.”

“Okay, spit it out so we can get to the good part.”

* * *

Sam shrugged at the question and looked down at Gabriel.  “Not really.  I’m just thinking about how this time last year, I would have never dreamed that my life would turn out this way.”

“It ain’t over yet, kiddo,” Gabe leaned up and kissed him softly.

“I know, I’m just…really happy,” Sam said.

“Me too.”

* * *

Cas shuffled his feet and looked warily at Dean.  “I’m not good at this.”

“At what?”  Dean groaned.  “Look, I’m about to come in my pants and I feel like this is about to become a ‘feelings’ conversation.”  Dean looked at his boyfriend.  “Are you okay?  You’re kind of freaking me out.”

“I’m just nervous,” Cas told him.

“About what?”  Dean scoffed.  “It’s not like this is new.  We have sex all the time.”

* * *

Gabe ran a finger down Sam’s chest thoughtfully before looking up into the younger man’s eyes.  “I get it, you know.  This feeling.  I didn’t expect this to happen to me either.”

“It feels good though,” Sam smiled, bending down and placing a kiss to the corner of Gabe’s mouth.  “I am just so fucking happy right now.  Really.  I can’t—I don’t know.  I’m rambling.”

Smiling at him, Gabriel stepped back a little and looked at him with an indecipherable gaze.  “You’re perfect.  Even when you’re rambling.”

* * *

“That’s not what this is about,” Cas informed him, frustrated.  “I’m talking about more than sex.”

“My mind is pretty one-track right now, so you’re going to have to be more specific,” Dean bent his head, trying to make eye contact.

“I love you Dean,” Cas said abruptly.

“I know,” Dean smiled at him.  “I love you too.”

Cas paused, biting his lip.  “May I ask you a question?”  He reached into his blazer, his hands grasping around the inside pocket.

“You just did, Cas,” Dean teased.  He saw the look in Cas’ eyes and his features sobered.  “Okay, sure, man.  Ask away.”

* * *

Gabriel was watching Sam’s face carefully.  “You know I love you, right, kiddo?”

Sam smiled.  “Of course.  I love you too.”

“Good.  That makes this a little easier,” Gabe huffed out a breath.  “Not much, mind you.  I might have a stroke in a minute.”  He raked his hand through his hair and searched Sam’s eyes.

“Makes _what_ easier?” Sam asked curiously.

“What I’m about to do.”  Gabriel slid his hand into the right pocket of his trousers, his fingers brushing the contents.  Now or never.

* * *

In two houses, on opposite ends of town, both Novak brothers fell to one knee, holding out rings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last main chapter of the story...there will be an epilogue posted later today.
> 
> Yes, The Cherry Cricket is a REAL place in Cherry Creek, CO and it is AMAZING!! It was featured on an episode of 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' and it was my fave place to get burgers when I lived in Denver. Also, you absolutely CAN get raspberry jam on your burgers there--you can get just about anything on the burgers there. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend it. That is my shameless and unpaid plug for the day. :)


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time jump!!

_Two years, seven months later…_

The Friday night crowd at The Pan-ty Dropper was bouncing.  The energy in the air was electric and the place was almost packed to the walls.  Castiel and Sam had managed to snag a table when two young women vacated it, their body language indicating that they were off to spend the evening in a more private setting.

Sam brushed some crumbs off of the tabletop and sat down, placing his almost empty cocktail next to his elbow.  He smiled at his friend.  “So, how was the week?”

“It was pleasant,” Cas told him.  “That new Young Adult thriller was released on Tuesday and we are out of stock right now.  The waiting list is almost four months long.  I had some very disappointed people looking for it.”

“I’ve heard good things about it so far and it’s only been three days,” Sam commented.

Cas nodded and took a large drink, almost draining his glass.  “I ordered it in the mail.  It should arrive in a few days.”

“Let me know what you think.”

“As if you would even have time to read anything right now,” Cas grinned at him.  “You just started at the new firm downtown last week.  I’m sure they’re keeping you busy.”

“I’m finally a real boy,” Sam joked.  “And I have the undergrad to prove it.  I’m just lucky they took me on as an intern for the rest of the summer.  I guess competition to work for them was pretty stiff.”  He looked around the crowded bar.  “I still have to make it through three more years of law school _and_ pass the bar.”

“I have every faith in you.”

“Thanks, Cas.  That means a lot.”

They both studied their drinks, wondering if they should try to fight through the people stacked at the bar.  It seemed like too much of an effort.  Sam looked around again, but he didn’t recognize anyone that was out tonight.  The bar’s business had really picked up lately, which he was sure made Balthazar incredibly happy.  He did glimpse the owner over in the corner chatting up a slender young man in a tank top.  Sam laughed and pointed out the scene to Cas.

They observed their friend’s seduction technique for a moment before Cas snorted out some air and fixed Sam with a look.  “I’m not sure what exactly we’re doing here,” Cas murmured, twirling his now empty drink in his hands.  “This seems very odd.”

“Just relax and go with it,” Sam said.  “It could be fun.”

“I’m uncomfortable.”

“That’s obvious,” Sam told him.  “You’re tense and it shows.”

“I don’t think I’m going to be any good at this,” Cas whined.

“Yeah, me either,” Sam said.  “The things you do for family, right?”  They gave each other slightly strained smiles.

As if on cue, Meg materialized next to their table holding a tray.  She was balancing two giant cocktails on it that were easily the size of a human head.  She winked at both of them, placing one of the huge glasses in front of each man.  “Compliments from the gentlemen at the bar,” she laughed as she walked away.

Both Sam and Castiel craned their necks and looked around.  They didn’t see anyone familiar and no one was looking at them.  Sam shrugged and took a sip through the straw poking out of his new drink.  “Free booze,” he said.  “Maybe this won’t suck too much after all?”  Cas looked at him as though he didn’t believe that statement one bit.

A man moved behind them and placed a firm hand on Castiel’s shoulder.  They both whirled and looked up meeting Dean’s eyes crinkling into a smile.  “Hi there,” he said to Cas.  “Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?”

“Really, Dean?” Sam chuckled at his brother.  “That’s what you went with?”

“Shut up, it’s a classic for a reason,” Dean told him as he slid into the chair next to Castiel.  “I wish I would have been there to catch you.”

Cas was squinting.  “Are you calling me a fallen angel?  That seems very…rude.”

“Jeez, Cas,” Dean dipped his head and tried not to laugh.  “I’m not saying you’re ‘fallen,’ just an angel.  Work with me.”

“Fine,” Cas sighed.  He held out his hand to Dean.  “I’m Castiel.”

“Oooh,” Sam said.  “Tell him your name is Jimmy or something.”  Cas withered him with a glare.  “It’ll be fun, right Dean?”

“I’m Jimmy,” Cas said robotically, rolling his eyes.

Sam saw movement out of the corner of his eye as Gabriel sauntered up to their table.  He whistled loudly, his eyes raking over Sam’s body.  “You’re so sweet, you’re giving me a toothache,” Gabriel leered at him.

Sam glanced down at Gabriel’s chest which was sporting a stick-on nametag.  “Loki?  Really?”

“It fits,” Gabe shrugged and leered at him.  “Besides, I wanted to go for authenticity.  I’m Loki tonight.  Who do you want to be?”

“I’ll stick with my real name,” Sam told him.

From across the table Cas was explaining to Dean that his pick-up line was flawed.  By referring to Cas as an angel who fell, he was implying that Castiel was, in fact, Lucifer.  Cas was just working up to the theory that since it happens to be his _actual_ brother’s name, calling him that would be considered slightly incestuous and therefore, disgusting.  Dean was just shaking his head in disbelief, trying to figure out how this had went so very wrong.  When Sam spoke, Cas’ head shot up and he glared at his friend.  “That’s not fair!  You made me say that my name was Jimmy.”

“I didn’t make you,” Sam laughed.  “You didn’t have to do it.”  Cas grumbled.  “Pay attention to your own thing and leave us alone,” Sam poked his finger at Castiel before turning back toward Gabe.

“I take it that you sent over these giant drinks?” Sam asked, taking a sip of his concoction.

“I only paid for yours,” Gabriel winked at him.  “Sweet, isn’t it?  Like you.”

Across the table, Dean was leaning in toward Castiel, stroking his hand.  “Come on, Cas,” Dean said, pouting.  “I didn’t mean to call you Lucifer.”

“I told you that my name is Jimmy tonight,” Cas tilted his head.  “Though I’m still not clear as to why.  What exactly are we doing this for again?”

“It’s supposed to be fun,” Dean grumbled.

“It’s not.”

“No shit, angel.”

Gabriel had sat down next to Sam and was leaning close, brushing some hair behind Sam’s ear and doing his very best to sound seductive.  Sam kept ducking his head, trying not to laugh.

“So what do you do for a living, Sam?” Gabe asked, running his fingers along Sam’s arm slowly.

“I’m an astronaut,” Sam told him dryly.

“Oooh,” Gabe winked at him.  “Maybe later tonight you could take me to the stars?”

“That was bad even for you,” Sam laughed.

Dean downed half of his drink and slammed it onto the table.  He fixed Castiel with a look and tried again.  “So?  Do you come here often?”

“We come here together most Friday nights,” Cas nodded seriously.

“Damnit, Cas!  You’re not getting the hang of this, are you?” Dean hung his head.

“Not really.”

“That’s okay,” Dean smiled and slid his chair closer to Castiel.  “We have enough spark, don’t we?  We don’t need these stupid games.”

“No,” Cas agreed.  “I find that I’m very much attracted to you in any kind of scenario.”

“Right back atch’ya,” Dean grinned.  Dean pressed a kiss to Cas’ cheek and tugged on his sleeve.  “Let’s go home.”  Cas smiled softly and nodded. 

They stood from the table, just in time to see Gabe grab Sam’s face and kiss him so hard that Sam dipped back into his chair, his arms swinging wildly, trying to regain his balance.  “Warn a guy, will you,” Sam gasped when they broke apart.

Gabriel slung his arm up around Sam’s shoulder and smirked at Dean and Castiel.  “Well, looks like I’m taking ‘Sam the Astronaut,’ home with me tonight,” Gabe laughed.

“Sounds creepy—just like you.  Sammy?  You have fun with that,” Dean dipped his head toward Gabe who was licking his lips and eyeing Sam with a predatory look.

“Oh, I will,” Sam promised, which made Dean shudder just a little.

The four of them linked hands with their respective partners, waved goodbye to Balthazar, and exited the bar.  Once rides had been called, they said their 'goodnights' and both couples went their separate ways.  It was time to take their husbands home and get it on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, kiddos--that's it for "The Wingman Games!" Thank you so very much for reading and sticking with me through this story. I hope that you all enjoyed it as much as I did. These boys are just too damn cute :)  
> I haven't completely decided if I'm ever going to do a sequel to this--I have a vague idea right now, but I'm also in the midst of three other WIPs at the moment, so who knows. Keep an eye out, I'll hopefully have something new to post next month if all the stars align.  
> Again--THANK YOU ALL! The reviews I have received on this story have literally brightened my entire month and I'm so very grateful for all of them, and all of you! Stay awesome!

**Author's Note:**

> 🍭I am on Tumblr as crowley-loves-usuk if anyone feels the urge to follow or message me. I love talking to readers! 🍭


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